the World after dead
by Ichigo -usagi Wizu
Summary: whatever did happen, you have to believe in yourselves..." Evelyn and Christopher were going on a school trip when everything goes wrong and they realize that they're dead. upon a promise they move into a new world, but what waits for them there? R
1. Are we dead?

Okay, this is actually my first shot of creating a serious, OC-based story totally from the plain scratch. The characters here are Christopher and Evelyn, and they are twins (hope you don't think they're Mary sues or what…). There may be some things appearing; like cameos from some other animes and such.

**Warning:** expect some off – the – trail characters, like someone learned skills from the job of different races, but I do have a reason for that… and they'll hardly ever appear (for some sake of cameos… duh)

And let's get on to the story; hope this one's beginning is acceptable.

* * *

They were supposed to have a peaceful trip to a mountain that day. It was supposed to be a special study trip to bid farewell for the graduating seniors. The two of them, Evelyn and Christopher, were playing around near the perimeter of a cliff when the young girl suddenly slipped…

And that changes their life since.

As the male tried to save her by grabbing the hand, he couldn't hold the weight… and so they fell off together from the steep crag.

At those seconds of falling down with breakneck speed, they prayed for their life, clinging to each other.

But as their classmates and teacher looked down from the peak to the slope where they are supposed to fell on… nobody was there. No signs of blood or even traces of someone falling down upon it.

Children trembled in fear, and the teachers were caught in shock as the blood they were looking for was further down the chasm.

They wouldn't have survived in that condition.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Are we… dead?**

The twins woke up in complete darkness. The land they were stepping on wasn't even visible, but pale green orbs illuminated the air as they fly about as if fireflies in the forest.

They walked in a straight line, finding nothing but the spheres around them flashing about in tempo.

"Poor, poor, little children…"

When they're panicked they still held into each other; every one of them wondering about the source of the voice that seemed to be coming out of nowhere. The older one of the twin turned her head in a fruitless effort of knowing where the sound did come from. Desperate, she called out loudly, "What are you talking about? Do you mean… we are dead?"

The voice didn't answer the question asked towards it. Rather than talking, a lake appeared in front of them, the green orbs glowing above it made the puddle of water quite bright enough. As Christopher peered in with curiosity, he suddenly retreated, fear practically written all over his face. His sister Evelyn also looked, and exactly the same reaction against what had the small pond reflected in its clear waters.

They really are **dead**.

The twins stared to the water yet again, and found their lifeless body covered with blood. Still in uniform and backpack on them, and their corpses are being eaten by hungry crows.

"Do you want to live?" the exact same voice as before, an alluring one from undoubtedly a lady.

"What?" the more outward one, Evelyn, asked, not sure which direction she has to face. She wasn't deaf; and it's not like she didn't heard the question at all, but the sound of it was kind of unbelievable. They were dead, and he/she/whatever the one who spoke is has just proven it, and now they were given the offer of _life_?

"I ask once again, _do you want to live?"_ as the voice echoed, a soft wind blew and brushed through the siblings' face.

"Who won't want to live?" Evelyn asked, rather rushed because she didn't even ask for her brother's opinion.

"A life out of your world; you might change from your former self, you know?" the voice asked again.

Meanwhile Evelyn was getting pretty pissed off. The voice has only been asking questions, and not answering every bit of questions she threw at it?

"…" Christopher had been standing in shock since he saw himself in the reflection. "Why not? If we can change reality; if we can go back into living…" actually his eyes were filled up full with tears. The thoughts of his friend he will never be able to meet again spooks him so.

"If you wanted it to be, then so be it…" the voice spoke again, for the first time not asking a question to the children. The inky black space began to gradually brighten up.

"Wait a second" Evelyn interrupted. "Do what you want; but if you put the two of us apart, I'll make sure that I'll chase you to the end of the world. Be prepared."

"As you wish, then" the voice replied, rather softly. "I'm the granter of wishes, after all. But if the story ends… your time will be up"

Questions still bugged her head as the green orbs started to turn dim and then disappear one by one. What will happen to them next? And what is that voice meaning about a story? What does it also means about their time?

By that time it hat turned completely white, and yet again they had lost their consciousness.

* * *

-The City of Moorabella-

A moogle juggler just had his lunch of stewed dreamhare when he walked up on the streets and saw a rather noisy commotion. Well, who thought in what they say was the most educated city there are still uneducated people that cause commotions like that ones… well, better not get involved in it, but maybe a nice watching could prove to be fun. Curiosity pokes him on and on anyway, what could've caused such uproar?

Climbing the stairs that is a little bit too big he had to jump on each step, he looked at the world below him. A Hume… and a Gria in strange clothes are getting bullied by some Bangaas and Nu Mous over god knows what. That's until his ears that were covered in the clown-like hat caught some certain words…

_Dogs…_and _Lizards._

If they're trying to joke, it has gone way too far. Well, for this time he had to do things that he sometimes hates to do. Picking a card from his bag, he shot the meant thing stabbing into the ground. It was effective for distracting those two Bangaas and one Nu Mou into turning their enraged faces into him.

"What're you doing, moogle? You heard yourselves what these little pranksters have said!" the Nu Mou said still in a bit of agitation.

A smile, much into a devilish one, managed its way into the juggler's painted face. _Little pranksters, huh? I'll show what it means about a little prankster. _Scarlet-gloved hands reaching to backpack, the yellow-furred moogle pulled out three multi-colored rings and shot each one to every member of the rampaging trio. Having everyone there sealed for sure, he called out something that nobody would have expected.

"Help, kupo! Help me, kupo!" he said in an utmost adorable manner. In a split second the town watch had already been rushing to help.

"What's up?" the muscle-and-fat bound Seeq asked "Bad guys after ya, wee moogle?"

"That's right, kupo!" the purple pom-pomed juggler said still keeping his cute looks with gleaming eyes. "These kupopo people are after the three of us, kupo! They asked us for a kupo amount of Gil and threatened to beat the kupo out of us if we don't want to give it, kupo! Please, kupo. They had been beating my two friends, kupo!"

The Seeq didn't even take his time to think before swallowing the pure lie the moogle had put on him. Violet skin moving as the pig-like creature grabbed the 'outlaw' by the collar ready to fling them into the dreadful slammer. The Lanista turned his fat- covered head into the moogle with a smile;

"If ye got to trouble again, give a call, aye?" and with that the Lanista went off with his two Bangaa underling, each dragging the poor

"Sure, I will kupo you if there's problem!" The moogle said with a really wide, innocent -looking smile which, after the Seeq turned his head against him, turned into an extremely devilish one. _That's something you should call a little prankster's work. _. Then he turned into the two confused teenagers.

"I don't know where you're from, kupo. But if you call a Bangaa a _lizard_, you're in for some kupo trouble" he said, looking a bit concerned about those youths whose face looks much alike.

"Uh, thanks…" the Gria spoke first, bowing deeply. "To tell the truth, I don't even know what's happening right here…"

"Kupo, you don't know? You really sure you don't know anything about what's going on, kupo?" the juggler is now highly confused. What are they doing in the middle of a city wearing such clothes, anyway? And that Gria was like she was wearing a Hume's clothes from the way the clothes were ripped nicely for the wings and the tail to come out.

"Eh, we don't know about anything…" the Hume spoke in such a way like he was being overly polite to the moogle.

Now the moogle's violet eyes are staring into the young boy's deep emerald ones. After a minute of silence, the short creature let out a deep sigh.

"Okay, I believe, kupo. Since you don't have any kupo clues about what is going on before, I also believe that you must have no kupo idea at all about where is this, let's just conclude that you two have kupo into some kind of amnesia" the yellow-furred kupo-ing creature spoke by himself. Then without the confirmation from any of those youngsters, he dragged those children to the pub…

And the extremely confused adolescents obeyed like loyal puppies, following him. They had no idea about what's going on and where the hell it is, so maybe what that plush doll said was right, better pretend as if they had lost their memories than getting beat up by god knows what.

And better not call him a plush doll before knowing what exactly he is.

* * *

Well, that covers prologue and chapter 1. Rather short, isn't it? I promise later chapters will be longer, but it might take a lot more time than it should have with shorter chapters. If I may ask, which are better, longer chapters or faster updates? Please tell me via PM or Review, because I'll need that for sure.

Again, for a writer it's better to have a few feedbacks than a lot of readers. I highly appreciate those who reviews and try to give a proper reply; so thanks for reading! –Smiles-


	2. Iva what was it again?

hello; this is ichigo-usagi wizu and back with the second chapter of the world after dead. I cherished how things went out so well so that I already have reviews coming to my account. I'm so happy; so to be said extremely happy, to get already a review in just the first chapter- my thanks for cuttingmoon57 for dropping and giving me the first review; it means a lot for me.

okay, then! We won't want you guys for waiting too long, let the tale begin!

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**Chapter 2**

**Iva... What was it again?**

(snowcandy inn, an inn in Moorabella)

The juggler was now looking skeptically towards the youngsters, which are now dressed properly because the kindly young Viera who runs the inn has generously given them some home-made dresses; about twenty pairs of them. and she also gave him some scarves (she said to handle the freezing atmosphere). The Gria was now in a bright red vest with zippers on the backside for the wings to properly fit in, and a pair of beige baggy pants. When the Hume was in a navy blue coat with long sleeves and black trousers.

"Well, kupo, I actually don't understand a thing at all about what are you two talking about" the creature was actually giving up about talking it up with these youths. They were... Kupo. All they said wasn't making any sense to him. It was like they were brainwashed, or anything kupo they had lost their mind and started talking all these nonsense.

Suddenly a brilliant idea crossed the moogle's mind. Recall grass. The herb that can cure almost all kinds of amnesia. He went down the stairs leaving the two of them be.

"What're we going to do now, Eve?" the boy asked his companion, who seemed to be as confused as him

"...beats me" The Gria answered, looking at her clothes which looked much like a bright red vest with beige baggy pants. "I don't even know what's going to happen to us now. At least since we don't have a clue about this world, we can pretend to lose our memory... Or something else."

When the two of them were thinking hard about surviving in this... unique world, the furry short being came back with what seemed to be mugs.

"Drink this, kupo" the moogle juggler gave the two of them each a mug of strange-smelling liquid.

"Err, if I may ask, what is this?" The Hume boy asked, pointing to the thick, boiling substance that smelled to be very bitter. The mog was even more sure that the two of them has been struck with some kind of amnesia, because they didn't even recognized the bitter smell of recall grass. _Probably from eating nephentis_, he thought.

"What's more important, is this even edible?" the girl that somehow looked exactly like that Hume boy said, if not a little bit too loudly.

_sheesh, can't believe I'm actually talking with someone who lost her memory..._ the bat-winged creature muttered in his mind considering the volume of the girl's speech.

Finally losing his temper, the moogle jumped and forced the liquid through the girl's throat. She yelped, and directly fell on the pillow that's been waiting for her head all this time.

"How could you expect of to drink something this bitter?! " the girl shouted while pushing the juggler back which worked very effectively, because the poor moogle was slammed right into the wall with a quite loud kupo.

Meanwhile the Hume boy was calmly sipping the liquid as if- it was tea. Oh well, what less can you expect from someone drinking medicine everyday?

"k- kupo... " the moogle as totally fazed for it was the first time was the very first time for him seeing somebody sipping a recall grass tea as calm as if it was an ordinary drink.

"the tea is rather bitter..." he said, putting the mug into the dresser near the bed. "but it was very nice to be served, even if we were strangers"

The words struck him like a lightning bolt. Actually he was going to throw them out as soon as they regain their memory. But actually he found nothing on their bag. Nothing but a few potions and this small red diary which was even empty. Well, maybe he should reconsider about making accomplices with them.

"Well, I guess Christopher's right. I have to say thank you for saving up from that mob of li..."

A dagger made its way to the wall, above the girl's left shoulder blade.

"Say no more, kupo" the juggler said coldly. "I don't want you to be running around spreading chaos calling every single bangaa a lizard"

"W-wait a minute!" the Gria said frantically. "You **don't **have to throw a dagger at me to say _that..._"

"Well, maybe I _should,_ kupo..." he said rather menacingly. "the war between races..." he actually shivered between the words. "In the Baptiste Hill area, it was caused by somebody calling the kupo race 'lizards'... Ooh, it was **terrible,** kupo..."

"Yipes..." The Gria held her mouth in complete surprise. She didn't expect such simple words could lead to a war. And she absolutely **wouldn't **want one to happen right here and now, not without she knowing about this world first. "I-I'm sorry..." she stuttered like a five-year old toddler trying to spell words.

"Promise me you won't try to say anything like that again, kupo" he said pointing a Kris Knife to her. "People will think I'm responsible for all your kupo acts, which I don't want to happen, kupo. I hardly even know who you are, and don't even hope I'll help you again, kupo. For you two to know, I'm not paying your room rate"

The moogle tottered off, still holding the pain that Gria had caused him. He walked towards the door not far from him, and closed it behind.

"Heading out again, Chirol?" The Viera innkeeper asked, still cleaning a dirty plate. "My, my. You sure had a busy day"

"Sure I had, kupo" the juggler answered, picking up a few gil from his bag. "Here, the pay for one room, one night's stay. Don't tell them I'm the one paying, kupo"

"Your secret's safe with me, Chirol." She said, picking a mug that smelled heavily of alcohol. "Including _that_..."

"Oh, I gotta go, kupo!" Chirol said, pretending in a hurry. "See you soon, Lizza!" he ran outside towards the everwinter city.

**-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+**

Chirol was now standing in front of a closed armory, which was actually closed during 16th every month, and today is the 16th of Ashleaf.

"Oh well, here goes..." he muttered to himself knowing well how was the owner of this house like. With a gloved right hand he knocked the Moonwood door and got no answer. The juggler waited for five minutes before knocking again. Yet all that answered him was the sheer cold of a mountain of snow falling into his face from the awning.

Now the short creature really had lost his patience completely.

He jumped to the door just trying to reach the doorknocker. They should've prepared one for moogles positioned the height level of a Hume's knee, really. That way he and other fellow moogles would save a lot of energy jumping desperately to reach it. Well, Chirol's totally doomed if he was a moogle knight, but it's quite an easy matter for a juggler. Thank god he had bought a pair of spiked boots yesterday. Saves up the effort of trying to stay on the door.

he stood in front of the door and started to count down. then the moogle jumped up, the spikes protruding on his boots heading to the wooden plate. Chirol managed to keep standing horizontally on the door solely depending on the power of friction supported by the spikes now hanging on the piece of wood. He reached, and easily enough, and slammed the doorknocker on the moonwood door.

"Kupo! Open the door, Axel!" Chirol screamed as if he was a mother with a dying son or something. "This is urgency, kupo! A real emergency!" this act successfully attracted the glares and worried looks from the townspeople, which also sends chills down his spine.

The screaming and shouting continued for five minutes until a peculiar Nu Mou Scholar with half-moon spectacle opened the door slowly from inside and greeted him with a warm smile,

"Ah, if it isn't my best friend Chirol" he said, looking down on the moogle who has landed softly on the snowy ground "I guess that spiked boots I gave you came in handy, eh?'' he also shot a small glance at the wooden door which now bore small holes of ventilation on it.

"It sure does, kupo" he answered, giving the Scholar the best sarcastic tone he could get. "Helped me so much in reaching the placed-too-high doorknocker."

"Is that so?" he asked with what the juggler would've called as a 1000-watt smile. "Maybe I should consider lifting the price for the small size; they can also hurt people, a useful item indeed on engagement, don't you agree?"

"Okay, kupo. Stop with the chit-chat, and get to the point. I've got something strange to ask you" he said, as the Nu Mou let him in the shop and into what looks more like a house behind it. A marble fireplace was placed neatly on the left of a large variety of books, and beside it was a Judicer's Coat and a Wizard hat in a display shelf. The floor was made of Gurnat wood and the door is made of Moonwood, and the only sources of light were the sun shining through the antique wooden window, the fireplace which also provides warmth in the eversnow city, and a small lantern to light a room each. Chirol took a seat on one of the couches available and Axel on one right across his.

"So, what is it, something so strange that you have to ask me in person, Chirol?" Axel asked in such a way it looked that the Nu Mou was flirting, and he also put a strange, tempting gaze at him.

"Stop the kupo up, you're disgusting that way" the juggler let out a disgusted 'bleah' before continuing. "I know that you're the most knowledged person around. Now tell me, kupo. Have you ever heard of people from another world?"

"Hmm... that's very interesting..." the scholar in magus robe remarked. "And why did you ask so?" the canine-like creature stood up and browsed his bookshelf to find a rather ancient book with a worn beige cover.

"You see..." Chirol said muttering, "l found these two kids this afternoon, they were having... er... kupo... Some issues with Bangaas and Nu Mous, you name it, kupo. I brought them to the inn and interrogated them, and that's apparently why I'm here, kupo. They said that they weren't from Ivalice... From somewhere... Weird. A world where only Humes live..."

"Then you've come to the right place, Chirol" the Scholar remarked as he flipped open the book he had just picked up from its shelf. "there have been a few incidents concerning people from another world. One is said a mere legend from far across Jylland, and another one is of the tale from the most popular clan around"

The juggler was a bit shocked when the Nu Mou said the phrase 'the most popular clan around'. A memory of a run-in with a clan... And a boy with red beret flashed through his mind. "Y-you don't mean... That kupo clan?"

"Yes, and I have certainly no doubt that you have had some run-ins with them before..." He said again, mouth forming a small smirk. "Adelle the Cat, Blademaster Frimelda, Cid, and the Beret boy..."

"Luso Clemens, kupo. Luso Clemens. There's no way I could ever forget that name" Chirol said obviously angered when he mentioned the name. "And clan Gully."

"And that Luso Clemens we are talking about... He had disappeared from everybody's eyes. Some people said that he left the clan, but until now none of his trace were found. He just suddenly disappeared from history. Vanished, they say." Axel said peering to the juggler through his half-moon spectacles.

"Vanished... Kupo?" Chirol said in disbelief.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

(meanwhile, in the snowcandy inn)

Left alone, the two 'strangers' looked around to make sure if they can find anything in the strangely warm room lit with a single, but bright lantern hanging on the ceiling. All they found was a rucksack, containing what they had brought before for the trip like snacks and water, with an addition of a crimson-red colored diary book which belonged to Evelyn, but she was shocked when she opened it.

"It's... Empty" she said, her voice mixing with a gasp of shock. "My diary's empty"

Her twin brother, Christopher was also shocked when he heard the word 'empty'. The diary was almost full by the time they fell off the cliff! "Did somebody rip off the paper?!" he said panicked.

"No..." the Gria said losing her hopes. "the words just vanished, there wasn't any pages ripped..." she closed the book as a wry smile crossed her face. "We never got any luck in this kind of things, huh? First getting thrown into this world, and about the diary, then this..." she said slowly touching her new limb which was a pair of clawed wing placed rather bit painfully she didn't have the power to move it more than showing a weak flutter. And her exhausted condition from the commotion only serves to make it even worse. But either way she can't lay on the bed because it will be very painful for her new wings to hold her weight. Especially with those claws it can also rip her flesh out. In this situation there's practically nothing comfortable, except if she got somebody to heal it. Sitting wasn't a very good option either; the tail on her but makes it not so comfy.

"I guess so..." Christopher answered, obviously worried about his twin's condition. "But look at the positive side, we got to stay on living, and I really don't think staying in that creepy place is a good option either."

Evelyn chuckled a bit before proceeding into a laughter. "Now that's my brother. Let's go down, I'm feeling like having a glass of milk"

The siblings made their way downstairs and ordered food and drink before the inn's front door was slammed open very roughly, revealing a group of Bangaas. A gladiator made its way to the counter which the young Hume recognized as the one trying to beat him up in the 'lizard' incident. The reptilian slammed a scaly hand on the table and shouted, "Where's the wee moogle just now, I saw him entering this building!" he shouted in a heavy, yet roaring voice that is enough to send the whole café shivering. He looked around the room and saw the siblings right beside him.

A smirk formed in his face. With a snap of fingers his underlings had already rushed into the inn.

"I found you troublemakers at last..." he pointed a kwigon blade to the Gria's neck as she let out a nervous gulp.

The Bangaa swordsman's jaw started to move again to say something but ut was cut short as a sharp, purple metal points at his neck, and a drip of blood flowed through it as the lizard's skin was torn. As his eye pried for whoever had tried to stab him with the estoc, and found the inkeeper holding the rapier.

"As long as I live... Nobody will hurt my customers" She said in a cold tone before putting back the slender sword into its sheath. "I, Lizza Silphleaf, will guarantee their life with mine"

**------------------------------------------------**

**"**W-what did you say, kupo?!" Chirol gasped, jumping from his seat. "I didn't know there's anything like that!"

"But the signs are inevitable. Everytime something like this happens, something bad, maybe even grim, is bound to happen. And no doubt about this as well" the scholar said with a concerned look. "And the uprise of mist shows even more of it"

Okay, hope that managed to cover chapter two. I was very nervous about this story myself, because there was a lot of words I don't understand myself. There's a lot of thanks for cuttingmoon57 for helping me with words I don't understand; and also my parents who supports me to train my english. The help is much appreciated. By the way let's make a deal; because my goal of making a fanfic itself was to make my english better. So give a review honestly; don't hesitate to point out every mistakes I made, even I don't mind flaming if you don't like it! I really, really hoped you enjoyed it, though. Ichigo-Usagi Wizu here signing out, bye!

Bonus: Lizza's biodata!

**Name**: Lizza Silphleaf

**Race**: Viera

**Age**: 70 (looks 24)

**Job**: fencer / elementalist

**Eye color**: grey

**hair color**: white

**Skin color**: brown

**Weapon**: Estoc

**Height:** 180cm

**Weight**: 52kg

**Hobby:** sewing

**Likes**: sweets, beetroot

**Dislikes**: fish

**B.G**: Lizza is the innkeeper in the Snowcandy inn, which is named like that because her love for sweets. She is a good cook and also makes nice clothes, but nobody had tried her sewings as of yet, that's why she gives a lot of them to Chirol. She always keeps her promises, and takes a lot of pride in running the inn. That's why she never hesitated attacking those who're considered a threat to her costumers.

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	3. A Dancing Feather

Okay, after finishing chapter two Ichigo-Usagi Wizu rushed again to the scene to update it the sooner the better! I guess people liked fast updates the best, but maybe this is only a fleeting hope to gather ideas when you only have a few days left until you computer is fully banned from view. That's exactly why I'm rushing. Okay, go on with the next chapter!

**(I'm telling you, if I had owned FFTA2 the artworks will be much worse!)**

I owned the twins and Chirol (+other characters like Lizza and Axel) only...

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The fencer give the ochre-scaled lizard a cold glare before sheathing her sword. "The Snowcandy inn is my only source of income, so I really wish that you will not disrupt the piece of peace we have here, Mr. Gladiator" she said, her icy gray eyes drilling through the reptilian's helm. "Or I'll have to kick you out in person"

The bangaa himself wasn't shaken at all by the Viera's hardened glare, instead pointing to her with his kwigon blade which flashed against the near-evening sunlight which managed to peer through the opened door. "Let's see how ye'll kick me out, eh?" he stated more than asked. "A fair engagement, You and those twins against us"

"Sounds a bit unfair to me" she answered. "But fine, I'll take you all on" she took out her estoc and pointed it back to him. Then the Gladiator took out a card.

"Hereby I summon the judge!" His voice roared through the inn and a hollow armor with a greatsword strapped on its back appeared. The noisy situation ceased immediately as the judge appeared, who took his sword then swung it to the air, creating a ringing sound as it was drawn from its sheath. The air grew tense as Lizza exchanges glares with the three Bangaas.

Evelyn and Christopher began to understand what were they talking about. Then... They are dragged to the fight of 'aliens'? Meanwhile the judge seemed to be ready to start the battle.

"Battle... Commence!"

**Chapter 3**

**A Dancing Feather**

Chirol jumped from his seat when Axel mentioned those words. "I- I don't believe it, kupo! What are you thinking about?"

"Ah, I do hope this won't be happening either, Chirol. But even the tale of Clan Gully and the legend from the faraway land shows the same motive..." The scholar rubbed his head in confusion. "Something big will happen in due time"

"But this can't be happening, kupo!" He shouted with fury, but the anger wasn't for the Nu Mou. "I mean... They're still kids, kupo! And... They're hurt badly! I don't even think the Gria will be able to move her wings yet! Don't you think... This is too hard for them, kupo?" sobs after sobs were mixed in the juggler's speech, making his words somewhat unclear.

"Gria?" The Nu Mou asked in confusion, now that was something new. In all records people called from what they call 'earth' to Ivalice were all Humes. There wasn't any other thing, except one single girl who followed the line of Viera.

"Yep, I forgot to tell you they are a Gria and a Hume, One closely resembles the other, kupo. Is there anything with it?" Chirol looked at his Scholar friend with a curious look about the other person's tone of speaking.

"Forget what I did say to you" Axel said trying to shrug the question in his mind that wouldn't be answered that easily. "But if those two **are** called to this world..."

"Huh? What did you say, kupo?" The juggler in power sash gave him a look.

"This is their fate... To be called to Ivalice. And our fate... Is to help them reach their fated goals."

"Fate, kupo? You did say fate?"

"That's what this tome said" Axel stated, closing the meant book. "If you feel pity of them... The only way to help them is to make them reach their fated goal, no matter what it takes to do it..." he read the contents of the book aloud then closing it.

"I'm leaving" Chirol said, the tone of anger still dense in his voice. "What the three of you said isn't making any sense to my brain" He walked to the front door and jumped to reach the door handle, slamming the door with a groan following the sound of snow falling from the awning.

"You can't escape, Chirol..." the Nu Mou said to nobody in particular. "I think you knew well enough that you will be dragged along with them ever since you have met up with them..."

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"Battle... Commence!" the judge's voice roared in the air as the three Bangaas and Lizza prepared their stances. When the reptilian swordsman's underling, two Bangaa warriors, immediately dashed to seize the two twins, the team leader seemed to be inanimate along with the rabbit-eared lady.

"We got 'em, aye!" one taller Bangaa exclaimed as the twins were completely surrounded.

"Didnee I tell yeh, they don't get to resist, total amateurs, they are!" the shorter one said with a laugh "Totally, trying to challenge boss Aaron on a fight isn't the brightest idea around, don't ye think?"

"Hra-hra-hra! Totally true, my friend!" replied the standing lizard laughing out loud, then put his clawed hands to the Gria's smooth neck. "This girl's so defenseless! Bet she's saving her pretty face from a useless scar" the warrior laughed until his gigantic jaws opened wide, only to receive a well-aimed punch landing on his cheek, sending the bangaa knocked back skidding on the floor.

"I don't know what're you thinking about..." the Gria said, a wide smirk formed on her face, though her right hand was bleeding quite badly from the impact with the rock-hard scales of the warrior's. "But if you think I'm the type of oh-so-feminine lady who won't put up a fight for the sake for my face, you're absolutely wrong."

"Heh, so ye did dare to put up a fight? How dare ye to... Ugh!" the Bangaa's speech was cut short as an elbow strike was slammed into his cranial, followed up with a hiplock and slamming of a beer glass to the lizard's face causing the sharp shards of broken glass to pierce through the scales, pricking out small amounts of blood.

"Yeah, go, sis!" Christopher cheered at the sight of his sister beating the living daylight out of the warrior, completely forgetting about another one of them behind him. "Beat all of them out that were-dino!" the Hume boy was busy cheering on when his hands were held shut by the bipedal lizard.

"Let go of me!" Christopher shouted with all his might, struggling against the strong hold of the warrior's. When his left palm made contact with the Bangaa's arm, something strange happened. Prickles of ice made its way into the bipedal lizard's vein and completely freezing the inside of the arm, turning it completely numb and sending the Warrior into a high-pitched scream as he held into the arm which was now covered in a thick layer of ice spikes. That must've hurt. Meanwhile the spellcaster himself was caught is a great, big awe. "W-what had happened?" he asked, his eyes widening into the size of a saucer.

"Chris!" Evelyn flipped her body to look at her twin whose legs had turned into jelly and slumped hard on the wooden floor totally in shock of what he had done by himself. Not long after a sigh if joy that her twin brother was alright, a piece of light blue metal pierced through the shoulder blade of hers, ripping the primary blood vein causing a lot of blood to gush out.

"It's not polite to turn your back at your enemy in the midst of battle, wee lass!" The warrior let out a cough before fainting out, together with Evelyn.

Realizing that she was caught in the battle, Lizza was shocked to see that Evelyn had already collapsed on the cold floor. "Dammit..." she cursed at her inability to protect whom she had swore to. Moving her left hand swiftly in rhythm when her other hand still holding the rapier against the Gladiator's silvery blade, She chanted a incantation silently, and a faint green light covered the wound from the sword-stab by the warrior closed itself a little bit. But she realized something was wrong...

When the judge disappeared from her view.

"Oh, great..." Lizza muttered to herself, cursing her lack of attention. "I messed up with the laws"

--------------------------------------------

The base of the Jylland Defenders of peace is always choked full with notices of unwanted outlaws. When for some this place which is also called the slammer brings chills to most people, the others who don't get affected with it call it their spring of gil. There is always bountiful rewards for those who can catch these outlaws; who had sent terrors all over Loar or Ordalia. And there is little but not none prize money for those who catch the thief who steals a piece of chicken meat everyday. It's all posted on the wall; from the E- rank fowl thief to the S- ranked criminal syndicate. This place has been always a one-stop shop for clans after money and fame.

Chirol pocked up a random paper from the gigantic stack of notices of outlaws around Moorabella and noticed a bangaa with a big gash on his left cheek, probably from a sword scar of an unofficial engagement, and a big letter **'B'** on the top-right of the paper.

'_Aaron Garlott. Wanted for fifteen counts of breaking into pubs, five counts of intolerable insulting against the officials, ten counts of breaking from prison, and one count of trespassing. The reward of this wanted outlaw is: 3500 gil' _ so the notice says. Chirol rolled the paper and put it inside his pocket, before noticing that the snowcandy inn just several meters on his west had its door hinge breaking.

"Well, I guess today's menu is a bad-mouthed Bangaa, kupo" the juggler told himself before he walked to the pub.

----------------------------------

_Ah, it was never a good idea in itself to go against a B-ranked outlaw myself..._

Lizza fell to the floor, unable to do anything after the silver shine of a kwigon blade crossed her chest. The gladiator let out a smile of victory as he stepped on the fencer, making her cough up more blood.

"Where's the cocky saying you'll take us all on, little lassie? You're done now!" the bangaa then walked away from her and to the Hume boy who is trembling in fear, the exhaustion had taken its toll on him. And the sickness he had had from birth also started to appear. His heart started to beat very quickly, and it was as if a second was an eternity. Cold sweat flowed all over his horrified face, as he started to lose his energy very quickly even not enough to stand up and run to a secure place.

"Now back into business..." The humanoid lizard put his hands together. He was really looking forward for this. There is, for him, nothing nicer than getting a revenge after receiving such an insult. Before a fist was landed into Christopher's face, the Gladiator noticed a firm hand holding to his heel, which belonged to the unconscious Gria. He tried to ignore it because he felt no threat from her, but he proved it wrong.

Because his chin was sent slamming the Gurnat floor with a soccer-style sliding tackle. Evelyn gave a signal to her brother, who nodded at once and ran upstairs with all the energy he got left where it's safe. The Gria had to thank her teacher for teaching her some martial arts, she guessed. This is the first time something she had learned at school comes to actual application. With the hurt Bangaa as the sandsack, she started to practice the lessons she got every Friday at the fifth hour, leaving him semi-unconscious. Smiling in victory, she was about to leave the place but... the swordsman had managed to throw his blade to her stomach. Again she had made the same mistake the enemy had tried to teach her.

Never, ever try to turn your back unguarded at your foe. The outlaw stood up, wearing the exact same smile Evelyn had wore before, then pried all around the inn for any signs of the moogle he had been looking for at this time, only to find that the innkeeper, Lizza had been feeding him with the truth. The only moogle he sighted around was an animist that worked as the co-chef in the inn.

Never one to give up at times like this, the gladiator looked up for more clues that may lead to his long-lost target. A second later, a card was flung to the wall just a few millimeters from his face. The card bear the mark of ace of spades, with golden edges and a small watch-like picture on its back. Knowing full well the card, it wasn't long before he realized that vines of early spring plants are now twisting themselves around his feet. In front of him the fencer was already up and ready for more fight, the clothes were as if they were never torn apart before, and it was also there was never a sword slashed against her chest. Behind her was also a yellow-furred juggler with long-sleeved left arm. He was holding a watch; an old small clock that was nothing but normal...

Except the fact the clock's hands are rotating backwards.

Finally realizing the trick behind the Viera's revival, he moved to strike her once and for all and to cancel the effects of magick, but the vines had gone farther up, preventing all movement of the Bangaa's feet and further sealing him on the wall. In the full control of magick the vines reached for the blade and removed it from the gladiator's hand. The short creature moved forward in a tottering style, then smirked before the sight of a bangaa pinned into the wall.

"Long time no see, kupo" The juggler greeted as politely annoying as he could be. ''seems that you haven't gotten enough time in the prison, is that right, kupo?"

"hrah, you're all talk, Chirol" The Gladiator, who apparently knows Chirol, stated. "You made us do the hard work, controlling all of us from the shadows, ha! then you're only there to pick up the fruits of our hard work!"

Meanwhile the juggler was listening to he gladiator's speech solemnly. "I do not know what are you talking about, kupo" he answered. "Honest. Maybe you are looking for another moogle here?"

"Hrah! You're just too afraid to..." the gladiator was cut short as the vines started to bloom pink flowers, then emitted a sweet smell that goes right into the lizard's sensitive nostrils. The chemical elements of the pollen reacted itself quick with the humanoid lizard's nerves, creating a drowsy sensation that drove him to sleep in just seconds.

"Sleep well, Aaron Garlott" Chirol whispered silently at the lizard swordsman before he was completely driven to sleep. Having done with the criminal, he faced Lizza who seemed to be as healthy as a clam.

"Okay, kupo. When I say now, you're going to cast earth heal on yourself, because the rewind spell won't last forever" He said seriously, considering the amount of broken beer glass and blood around here, there must have been quite a ruckus going on in the café. He didn't feel good looking at the mess, and if he wanted to get over it quick, it must be done as quickly as possible. The spell was also beginning to take over his energy.

The Viera nodded in full knowledge of what would happen if Chirol had released the spell.

"1...2...3... Now" The juggler finally let go of the disturbing sensation that came off the magick leeching on his energy. Quickly the wound started to open again as Lizza also tried to close it quickly. The rapid breaking and regenerating of cells in her body pains a lot, but after a few minutes the wound was completely closed, leaving a small scar of forced healing. She then tended to Evelyn who woke up not long after, looking a bit fazed at the destroyed state of the café. Her body was strangely in a great condition despite all the wounds she had taken in her body. Looking around she found that the floor now bear some holes which were grown with vines, which was very abnormal in this season of winter.

"If I may ask..." Evelyn started very slowly trying not to cause another ruckus as what had happened. In her mind there was an obviously not nice image about Ivalice already. Better not start anything strange... "Why is there so many plants in the room? Not to mention that this is still winter?"

Chirol and Lizza looked at each other, both not knowing what exactly to say to the young Gria. The fencer actually lowered her body to whisper something to the juggler who was a meter shorter than her.

"Hey Chirol... Is this girl alright? I think she just said 'why is there plants'? Or is it just me?" she asked in an inquisitive, but also worried way. "It's like she has no clue at all about magick..."

Now the juggler was the one wondering how to answer the question properly. He cannot just say _she's from another world _so simply or something... Come on Chirol. There must be a way for you to explain this in a simpler way! He hadn't believed that those kids were from another world anyway!

"She's... Uh..." the clown-dressed moogle halted to find the correct answer. "She got some kind of amnesia, kupo" he finally said. But somehow he felt that he was lying to both Lizza and himself. He didn't want to believe what Axel had just said; but somehow part of him believed the truly illogical story. Meanwhile, the Viera was looking at him skeptically.

"I don't think so..." Lizza remarked, staring right to Chirol's light purple eyes. "I think you have asked me the recall grass tea? I can still remember the smell; it was unforgettable."

Those words actually reminded Chirol that the innkeeper wasn't that easy to trick. He finally gave up, and decided to tell her what truths he did know.

"You won't believe this..." Chirol sighed. He was to begin the next sentence...

"Hey! Are you two listening to my question, actually?" Evelyn let out an exasperated sigh as nobody answered to her question. On reflex as a proper innkeeper, Lizza was the one who made her move on this. She neared herself, and with an exhausted, but nevertheless honest smile shining on her face, started to explain the condition.

"Yes, I do know that this is not normal for vines to grow in the middle of the winter, but all things have its own reason. Do you know what is Mist?" she asked while explaining, making sure the girl wasn't left behind in this explanation. The Gria only shook her head meaning she doesn't understand.

"The Mist is..." Lizza searched for the right words from her mind library to not confuse the teenager, "It is the source of all magick, and magick is, well... The power to make extraordinary things happen. Creating flame, call for thunder, and the plants in front of you is one example of magick."

"So you're telling me that those vines are of the mist's works?" The winged girl asked rather blunt. "You're not giving me a straight answer..."

"Maybe it will be best for you to learn about it over time and engagements..." Lizza said, looking over to the young lady whose condition is no better than hers. "I suggest you take your rest for now, as we will need it much soon" the Gria nodded in respond and walked upstairs to get her much needed rest. It was already night, much unnoticed as she had fainted for almost half the time they had the battle started.

When Evelyn opened the door, she noticed that her brother was already curled up in the double bed in the room. She smiled noticing his peaceful facial expression. It was things like these that always makes her smile. She opened her diary book to write on it as she always did everyday, but felt something strange now that the book is empty. It means she had to start a new story on this world... With a flip, she opened the small book, picked up a quill that was sitting on the table, and wrote on it, though he felt so awkward writing with a feathery quill, but it felt much more comfortable than a ballpoint, except for the fact she had to dip the feather in the ink tube every time she writes.

"_An unknown date of unknown month in also an unknown year, today there had been so much happening in my whole life. I know nothing of it, but I sure know that I cannot lay on the bed, and I'm trapped in a seriously mental world which I myself could turn mental just staying there. Chris seemed to be just okay much to my thanks to God, and I will maybe need to learn not to call something they call a bangaa- which resembles closely to those gods on the Egyptian hieroglyph, by the name of a 'lizard'. I guess they don't want their 'holy' names to be lowered to the same as a lizard... I was saved by a lady standing in permanent tip-toe and a... Stuffed animal? Maybe I should ask that guy named 'Chirol' later"_

The Gria smiled when she closed the book, and went to her much-needed slumber.

_--------------------------------------------_

"Well, if that so I will think that we do have some issues, Chirol" Lizza stated as she took a comfortable position on one seat that wasn't crushed during the incident. "One to another, you said that you found them in the Moorabella streets?"

"Yes, kupo. Apparently so. Do we have any problems with it?" The juggler asked in also a serious tone, though he had always been serious ever since the conversation started.

"If you said that they are from the other world, wouldn't there be something happening, like chaos, how did they manage to wind up here in Moorabella? Even more with the unsuitable clothing and so many others to explain... wouldn't you know about any of these?" the train of questions only managed to get Chirol even more confused, and finally he answered by a simple "no" and stood up from the chair, giving Lizza a reassuring gesture and walked through the stairs he had to jump on halfway when the innkeeper halted him.

"Chirol, can you help me put this café back and running?" Lizza actually begged in her tone of speech so for the juggler would help her in her affairs. The juggler only gave the Viera a "no" and continued walking until the fencer activated her secret weapon. "Then I guess our milk stock is running out, I wonder if a certain juggler would get his share of milk..."

Not going to give up on his habit of drinking a bottle of milk each morning, Chirol let out an exasperated sigh then hopped his way down again.

"So, what do you want me to do then?"

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Well, that 'crap' covered chapter three. I know that I am NOT the best writer around, so I guess there's still a lot of mistakes needing to be pointed out. Especially about the combat thing. if You'd love to see a developed writer because of your help, please give a proper feedback. It will be much appreciated. I'd like to look for a beta to look at my woks and make sure it's flowing smoothly, but I apparently don't know how to. Please give me advice via review or Private Message!

(bonus: about the Snowcandy Inn)

The snowcandy inn is located near Alex's Armory, so it was a strategic place where clan members and akademy students meet. The café offers a large variety of cakes, specially made by Lizza herself, and also another dishes ranging from the delicious flan a la mode to the medically precious Marlboro stew. Garrett works as the co-chef, serving many other dishes than sweets, and alcoholics are only served late at night, when the school children coming for candy would have gone home by the time. Breakfasts are for free, But you'd have to pay It you got more than two people in one room. The inn offers a classical warmth in the freezing snow, you can check in anytime, but checking out would not be later than twelve o' clock at noon.


	4. Guide to Ivalice

Yeah, finally, the fourth chapter! This is kind of short so… please give me your forgiveness… I feel the urge to update once a month so with all the school works this is what I managed to type. Once again, sorry my dearest readers!

"This place will be… where you will start" the juggler stated the obvious, as he dragged the two teenagers inside the wooden building. "If you gather information here, maybe you'll have the chance of going back…"

"Hey, what're you-"Evelyn tried to protest but cut short when she caught the sight of multiple weapons inside the store. Nothing in her world had contained such antiquity- the swords were so beautiful, it will be an understatement to just put it in here and not in a museum. Spears are neatly rowed on the wall, and ornate guns and machineries are also plastered on the other side. Inside the shelves were collections of swords and eccentric-looking staffs and rods, along with katanas and gloves and many other things that the Gria wouldn't possibly decipher in words. It was a gallery of weapons all right, but what's more is the enormous variety of books in the bookshelves that reminds her of the school library she had to clean every week because of the ruckus she had caused in school, and she had grown hating the library and all things about it, but in the contrary the books also made Christopher's eyes gleaming in glee. That boy was a fan for any kinds of books from a along time ago, and the fact never seemed to change until now.

"…Wow" That single word was the only thing the twins managed to say looking at what they are looking that time. It was a wonder in itself why this place hasn't been marked as a museum despite all the things it had to display. The two outsiders were so caught in awe they didn't notice that a ball of cholesterol was standing in front of them.

"Gimme a way, will ya?" the pig-like creature snorted as the two stepped aside nervously and the Viking made his way out, the fat on his belly bouncing in every step he made. The two came on the thought of why that thing hadn't fallen as of yet.

"Eve, I remember mom saying that you'll turn into a pig if you were to eat too much…" the boy whispered the words to the Gria's ears in horror.

"I don't feel like forgetting those words soon…" Evelyn muttered under her breath to reply her brother.

"Hey, you two…" Chirol gestured to the awestruck youths behind him. "Come here, kupo"

**Chapter 4  
'Guide to Ivalice'**

They immediately nodded and came to him, now standing in front of a glass counter which contained gloves and jewelry of all sorts in them. Until now the twins hadn't stopped wondering why they had always obeyed the moogle since the time he had saved them from being killed by a group of Bangaas and… who knows what a few days ago. But since then they had trusted him as the only one they could count on.

"I'd like you to meet Axel, one of my acquaintances" the moogle pointed to the canine-like being who stood almost a meter above him. The scholar made warm smile, which urged the two of them to offer their hands.

"Uh- I'm Evelyn, Nice to meet you" the female was the first to make an approach, though a nervous one, to him. She shook hands with the Nu Mou's bony one, and released it slowly. "My name is Axel, a Nu Mou Scholar. It is a pleasure to meet you" he said in a polite manner. "And may I know this young boy's name?" he peered sharply to Christopher's eye which made the adolescent swallow some air unconsciously.

"M-my name…" the boy stuttered, intimidated by the Nu Mou's glare. "My name's Christopher, sir"

"Christopher…" the scholar repeated his name. "That is a nice name. I see that you have some interest in the books on the shelf, you may take one if you like"

"R-really?" the teenager's eyes widen a bit before his smile suddenly widens in quite an abnormal way. Immediately he dashed into the bookshelf and started browsing through it with an enormous amount of happiness written all over his face.

Evelyn put a palm on his face and sighed. "Chris and his books…" she looked gloomily at her brother's behavior. "Nothing's going to stop him now…" she exhaled the remaining air in her lung before joined her twin, not necessarily to look after the books but just to watch the Hume, leaving the two grown-ups with the time to talk.

"Chirol, is this the Hume and Gria you were talking about?" Axel asked, eyeing the two outsiders which apparently had a good time together with the books in front of them. The boy is busy showing the extraordinary books when Evelyn was just nodding and giving advice. They weren't like they were from different races from the Nu Mou's spectacles, "They sure looked like real siblings…"

"Actually, they also said that they are twins, kupo…" Chirol remarked, a light of melancholy in his eyes. "But I don't know what to do with them… how should do this, Axel? I know no longer what I am to do… I know now that I am trapped in this situation, but how should I do this?"

"Fate does come in many ways" the scholar answered all the juggler's questions with one simple sentence. "I believe that your fate will guide you through all this, but remember, if your fate turns against you, you have to fight it with all you have"

"…" the moogle spent five minutes to absorb what the older one had meant for him. "Yeah, right, kupo. I need to believe in myself more" he looked at the scholar wearing his 1000-watt smile and realized something. "And from where you have quoted it, kupo?"

"It is the 78th line of the Veil of Wiyu, page 56" the taller one stated where he had quoted the sentence in detail. The two of them came into laughter, and not long after that the twins came, the male holding a book with mahogany red cover and golden embroidering.

"Mister Axel, may I have this book?" the young boy asked cheerily and out the thick picture book into the counter. It smelled faintly of cinnamon and the title was extremely weird. 'Guide to Ivalice' the book read.

"Guide to Ivalice, kupo?" the moogle half-mocked the other grown-up. "Who'll buy a book like that?"

"Now that was a good choice young lad…" the scholar didn't put his old friend's words into his head, instead praising the young boy's unique choice. "This book has some… interesting qualities, so to speak. The book's author knows how to speak with kids"

"So… may I take this one?" Christopher asked the older one as he picked the book back again. His eyes were practically gleaming with hopes.

"Of course you may, young one" the Nu Mou answered making the Hume thank him cheerfully and ran off to see her sister and they browsed again through the amazing collection of wacthamacallits.

Making sure that the twins wouldn't hear him in such a distance, he gestured to the juggler, a solid smirk on his face. "And that… will go on your tab. Only a cheap 5000 Gil"

Chirol promptly dropped the milk bottle he had been holding for only one minute since he had pulled it out of his bag.

"5000 gil, kupo? I have to pay 5000 Gil for such a dump like that? "

The scholar nodded.

"For the sake of Ultima…" the yellow-furred creature cursed. "I think I've been screwed up even before you put this much money on me, thanks"

"Don't play dumb, Chirol" the Nu Mou said as he put a golden hairpin on the counter for a Viera to look at. "I knew you've just got 3500 Gil for that Bangaa's capture. That makes only 1500 gil left"

The meant juggler turned his head to stare at him. "And who told you that?"

"Simple…" Axel continued "A certain Viera…"

"And that, I bet, would be Lizza" Chirol interrupted, that lady never knew what t speak and what not to speak. True, it wasn't particularly a secret… but it would pleasure him to keep that a secret and avoid getting him into troubles. Well, she'll see. The juggler had put his mind not to pay today's room rate. That'll serve her right for that act. "Whatever you said, but I'm not paying for such a lousy book, kupo"

"Lousy?" Axel asked in displeasure of the moogle's speech. "That was quite intolerable. I have read the book myself and proved to myself that way… it was quite an amazing book. You'll see when you have read it"

"Whatever it is…" Chirol said so to end the useless speech. It had started to agitate him and he had to gather more money if he was to take care of two children. He went out the shop, and somehow the twins followed him up instinctively. The sight, for other people, looked just like baby ducks marching before their mother. When the two didn't seem to care, it was a bit of embarrassing. The juggler immediately hurried to the inn so not to attract those curious gazes he had always hated from the start, followed with the other two and into their respective rooms. Chirol packed up his needs and was going to go downstairs, but remembering the trouble-makers he had decided to leave a note in front of their door. The moogle, having put all he needed to jump into combat, put the red face-paint on and off to the petition he had taken just three days ago. The meeting place was the Dyme Plateau. Not a nice choice to his taste… but almost anything will do for some money he'll definitely need for living. He'll probably be off for five hours or so, as long as those children don't make any ruckus it should be all right.

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-Dyme Plateau-

Everything was a faint white in front of the juggler's eyes. The sight of a frozen lake below his feet and the soft snow crunching every time a caravan strikes it below occasionally disturbed the quiet serenity. He had waited there for five minutes, and yet he hadn't found any sign of the petitioner. The freezing aura began to take toll on him and he sneezed before the faint image of a summoner formed before his eyes. Her pure white hair blended perfectly with the surroundings, and her alluring posture had just added even more to her appeal. The moogle's serious face turned to a sad one as the hallucination created by the magicked snow and thick mist around him had brought him to his past.

"Rena…" he whispered silently, not resisting the mirage in front of him. "It was like years ago, when we were all together… me, Darren and you…" he actually talked to nothing except the illusionary image of his former-partner. Three people, each trying to reach their personal goals and came into cooperating to reach it. The juggler pulled up a golden badge, formed like a feather, his name neatly scribbled in it. "And why do the two of you have to leave me first…? This is not fair at all…"

As the illusion dissipated, what Chirol saw was the person he had sworn to kill. The Hume white mage was wearing a magick robe and cheer staff, and instead of is holy appearances, he had a wide, malicious smirk on his face. The moogle's anger began to build up as he saw the man stomping on the layer of ice and startling him.

"Well, look at the fish that bait had just caught, quite a big one, isn't it…" the spellcaster remarked. "I never thought that members of the golden feather can be this stupid…"

"You traitor, kupo…." The moogle growled in rage as he reached for some daggers in his backpack. "Rena had risked her life to save you from that bunch who kidnaps you and still you dare to…!" he sent one of the daggers flying to the white mage who remained inanimate as the weapon inflicted a cut on his cheek.

"Wasn't it obvious?" the black-haired Hume asked as he lifted up his staff which began to glow madly in red. "Survival of the strongest, Chirol. Isn't it just logical to chase your dreams with every way you can? Anyway, I am here to erase the history of Clan Gold Feather… every remnants of the famous clan who –had- interfered with our business… "

"STEP ON MY CORPSE…!" the juggler roared in fury as he quickly chanted a few magick spells and brandished his Kris Knife.

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-Snowcandy Inn, Evelyn and Christopher's room-

"I wonder where that stuffed animal went…" Evelyn muttered after repeated knocking on the door which appeared to be futile. She had begun to give herself up when she saw a tower of flame far west of the inn. It stayed there for a while, glowing in its greatest glory and then disappeared as if it wasn't even there before, though still leaving a small amount of smoke visible from where the Gria had stood watching it.

"What was that?" the former-human asked to nobody in particular as she carried two cups of tea from the café downstairs. "Why am I getting worried…?"

She tried to ignore her thoughts and entered her room before she put the drink on the table. Christopher was apparently waiting for her, and though all her wounds had been cured, she still felt that it would hurt to move the things attached on her back. Chris also had a fever last night… which worries her so but he pretended to be all right. _Stupid… trying to lie to his own sister…_Evelyn thought as her worry peaks. After checking his own temperature the Hume called for his twin to sit with him on the bed, and then showed the book.

"To think of it…" Evelyn commented on her brother's sense of choosing. Don't you think this book is a little bit too thick for a guide? It's the size of a dictionary; and why do people make guides for their own world anyway? It seems like this book was aimed for us as the consumers…"

"Well, maybe" Christopher added as he opened the book cover. The pages were blank, much to the disagreement of the Gria, but the parchments slowly bore words on it.

**Welcome to Ivalice!**

**If you are reading this book, I may have a guess about you; first, you are between the age of 12 years old and 16 years old.**

Evelyn was caught in surprise of how the book had animated the words in it; it was just like in fantasy novels.

**And second, you are a Hume, or maybe you would prefer to call it human?**

Another right guesses, though the different thing had happened to her, but at least, she was a human.

**And the third, the main reason you had read this book, you are from a world other than Ivalice, maybe you do call it 'Earth'? And you are so clueless of what to do and finally found this book in a library on a bookshelf.**

This book was getting pointless. But that had answered her former questions, and all her doubts. The author had meant this book for the kinds of them from the start. Christopher flipped the book to its next page as slowly sketches of different races appear.

**Let me introduce you to the main races in Ivalice…**

**First is the Hume. This will be a normal sight in your world as well as ours. Ivalice is highly populated in this short-lived (sorry if this angers you) race. They ace in many things from brute strength into the tricks and twists of magick, but they do have a weakness; they're quite short-lived.**

**The second, and most probably the most important to read if you don't want to end up in pieces, is the Bangaa. Even how much they resemble lizards from your point of view, please, refrain from calling then lizards. Proud creatures like them wouldn't accept mockeries that lightly and if you are walking around the Baptiste Hill area and calls one of them 'lizard', I would be glad to assure that you will be next in line for their religious offerings.**

"Wow, religious offerings" Christopher repeated the word in the book. Whoever the author is, he must have a wide range of knowledge and also a knack of entertaining people. This book wasn't like any of the encyclopedias he had read before; it was so well-made and quite amazing by the fact. In the next page was a sketch of a Hume thief, and a Bangaa Warrior.

**The Viera comes third in line. Their tall posture added with long ears makes most pubs have to increase their door size, if not they will bump their heads on, or at the very least their ears. Having problem with their heads, but the Viera is an agile and smart race. They commonly live in the forests, but occasionally the female will come out to the city, while the male stays in the Wood.**

In the next page was the picture of a Viera, which the twins found very familiar.

"Hey, isn't this the innkeeper?" Evelyn asked as she pointed at the drawing.

"Yeah, so this is a Viera? This book's getting interesting, you know"

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So, this is it. Chirol met his sworn enemy from his old life. And no, stop thinking that he was in love with the Summoner I had described over there. Please. She's just his best friend in the old clan. (Nothing else will be told about this clan as of yet, since it concerns the main story) the reason why he hates this white mage/ Black mage so much will be revealed in the upcoming chapter. So, please give me the patience to wait for a month. Hopefully I had managed to type up a lot of words before the next month ends… once again the great thanks for Cuttingmoon57 for the great support!

**Bonus- about Axel**

**Name:** Axel Genardine  
**Race:** Nu Mou  
**Gender:** Male  
**Age:** 56  
**Job:** Scholar/ White Mage  
**Hair Color:** White (Due to old age)  
**Weapon:** Veil of Wiyu  
**Hat:** [NONE]  
**Armor:** Judicer's coat  
**Accessories:** Empyreal Armband  
**Likes:** Books, Children  
**Dislikes:** Blood, cold, water  
**Background:** Axel is the sole manager in the Armory, which was named after himself, and was planning to give the rights to someone if he had found one. He is a calm and somewhat mischievous personality, and love books almost more than anything else, hence making his shop look like a mini library with tons of books inside. He cooks his meal himself because he doesn't like the cold air, and people also often came by his shop and offer groceries. He was Chirol's friend, but wasn't involved with his clan. He had researched strange happenings in Ivalice and is very interested with the twins coming from another world.


	5. Daydreamer part 1

Well, here is the September's share, the fifth chapter of the world after dead! Things are getting heated up in this freezing city of Moorabella, where magick is studied and the snow is plenty. And what's going to happen next?

As Chirol charged against the white mage, a huge amount of fire was raised from the ground. It blazed with its greatest fury and reduced the frozen lake into burnt soil and hot steam before perishing. The spellcaster was sure that he would have been burnt inside the raging heat. All he had to do was to bury the roasted moogle… that is, if any corpse was left. Unknowing of what will him in, the Hume looked around when the exact same heat struck him. His white robe's edge was burned quite badly, and he saw the juggler was already behind him in a perfect condition, putting his knife behind the 'petitioner's' neck in a threatening way.

"Now tell me, kupo. Of why you had betrayed our old clan… and why you had poisoned Rena, our former leader…" the juggler said in a menacing tone. When his right hand was wielding the knife, he also prepared a card with his left hand in case the white mage was about to flee. "Answer me, Will!"

"I have said…" the man known as Will stated in a low voice "Your clan interfered with our business…" he made a click with his left hand which was free from holding the staff, and immediately a whole army of Dragoons, possibly about twelve of them, rushed to the scene, each holding a royally engraved spear and pointed those weapons at the moogle as the Hume himself retreated from he view. A templar with his royal armor stepped forward and said:

"You are to be taken into custody for murderous conspiracy against the governor's assistant!" the Bangaa shouted and Chirol realized that it was the sly man's trick of giving the petition all along. He had been aiming to hold him captive and erase all the existing witness of 'them'! But how did he manage to move up to such a high position?!

"Throw him to the dungeon. I'll deal with him later" Will's taunting voice ordered the Bangaas to follow his instructions. The men bowed and a struggling Chirol was chained before getting thrown in the cold, slimy place below the Jylland defenders of peace's building. All the light was a small, dim lantern and in cells beside him were brutal criminals who kept on slamming the gemsteel bars which held them captive. All the restless roars made him wonder if he was actually one of them, and it was going to make him totally insane. But what interests him the most was a single Viera, carving candle statues with a single spoon. She went on with the little hobby not noticing that someone new was thrown to the dark place. While all the prisoners were laughing at the tiny moogle, she kept silent and continued on.

Days and days had passed. He hadn't been fed any food and his eyes began to bore black pockets from the lack of sleep. If this continued he would die of either malnutrition or exhaustion. But the single Viera hadn't even ceased with the tenth figurine he had seen her making since five days ago he was thrown inside. Bored to death and lacking of anything to do, the juggler braced himself to ask the lady.

"Excuse me…" he asked cautiously. "Who are you, Miss?"

"Oh, I'm just a simple Viera Sniper" she answered matter-of-factly. "I'm here because of some mischief around the mansion grounds…"

**When you are chained against your own will, what will you do?**

**Will you fight for your freedom and spread your wings to the high sky?**

**Or, will you stay and wait for the right time?**

**My destination is clear, and though this hand is too short to reach the stars…**

**I will not kiss the ground. I'll fly up there, where my dreams reside…**

**Chapter 5**

**Daydreamer (Part 1: A Missing Guide)**

"Evelyn, would you snatch me a lava spear please?" Christopher asked his twin as she tumbled along the long corridors and painfully arranged a bunch of books she had been ordered to organize. It was a lot to put all of these together at once, and when she was finished with the stressful job which she didn't like at all, she hurried to the place where pig-sticks and real spears are piled up together, then picked a particularly heavy one which actually felt warm on the skin. What pains her wasn't the sole idea of working here where all brutal faces were gathered up together, but the fact that Chirol hadn't come back to the inn since they had bought the book. Is he upset? Or whatever business he night have he can't possibly go for five days before even telling! The Viera innkeeper also didn't know what the moogle was up to do for leaving near a week straight, and it was an even worse idea for not even giving them news. Actually Evelyn had found a note near the door stating that the juggler would go for a few hours or so, but seriously, a week! The Gria was so lost in thoughts her grip on the weapon loosens and the blazing edge nearly hit the poor head of a Seeq ranger. The pig-like creature gave a dissatisfying snort to the teenager before leaving her be. The young girl, mustering all her energy to lift a single spear and preventing it from scratching the ground, huffed as she leaned on it when she reached her destination which was only about ten meters away. "This thing's much heavier than the iron balls we were supposed to throw in the sports lesson…" she complained as another customer ordered her to help him pick some guns and clothes. She thanked her luck for giving her much lighter things to carry, but it soon dissipated into a great regret since an adamant vest was almost half as heavy as the spear was, and the amount of guns the fusilier had bought quite surprised her. It had been the third day since the siblings decided to work in the armory in order to pay their room rate and to know the world of Ivalice better. In the shop you won't need to have Viera's ears to get a decent amount of information. News is flinging over here and there as clanspeople made the chitter-chatter about certain monsters and outlaws.

"I heard the government caught another outlaw…" a blue mage whispered to his fellow clan-mate, a Seer, who nodded in respond.

"Yes, I heard that the Governor's new right-hand man is getting strict in laws… Who was caught in the patrol?" The diviner looked at another Hume, a black mage in regular attire.

"I heard it was a moogle… it seems this particular juggler is trying to murder Will, the right-hand man himself! Is he seeking for death?" the black mage answered, a bit of anger and shock mixed in his speech. "I think this moogle is insane!"

Evelyn almost dropped the customer's basket of equipment when she heard the word. Maybe the juggler's Chirol… she thought but tried to ignore it for a while. Instead she did what she was supposed to do and after the fusilier made his payment she asked the group of three Humes.

"Excuse me…" the Gria asked in an almost forced polite manner as she poked the Seer in front of her. The spellcaster jumped in surprise, shouting a "Whoa!" and backed even more when she saw a Gria in front of him. "W-w…"

The Blue Mage made an immediate respond, whispering a "be quiet, you're embarrassing!" to the Hume's ears which was covered in a cat-like hood, and holding his mouth tightly. The poor spellcaster made a muffled shout which led even more to the embarrassment the swordsman had mentioned before. Telling the seer to calm down, he let go of the other Hume's mouth and made a little bow of apology. "Please forgive my friend here; he's just not used on seeing a Gria"

"Well, I think I understand…" Evelyn half-pretended to answer that question. She then made the same small bow. "May I ask about that outlaw you mentioned a while ago? It piqued my interest in some way"

"Of course you can!" the Seer made a wide smile before offering his hand. "Name's Lidol, nice to meet you" the young girl then shook hands with the hyperactive spellcaster, and the other two just shook their heads.

"Told you what, he fits much more to a Fighter than a Seer to me; why doesn't he change job or something, that Lidol?" the Black mage made an exasperated sigh as he also introduced himself. "My name is Gerard, it is a pleasure to have met you" he said it in such a polite manner it resembles a gentleman asking his lady for a dance. Not wanting to lose to any of his clan-mates, the Hume in blue, feathered cap also introduced himself.

"And my name is Dylan. Then again, what do you wish to talk to us, young girl?"

"Uh, my name's Evelyn" the Gria finally felt a little bit calmer when they were introduced. "I want to ask about the juggler you're talking about…"

"You mean that outlaw we were talking about a while ago?" Lidol asked, not sure of what Evelyn had asked.

The Gria nodded.

"Well, you know the governor, right? The one living in the huge mansion there?" the Clairvoyant pointed out the window and to a glorious building guarded by a majestic iron gate. "He got a new right-hand man, words spread that the former one, a paladin, was poisoned in some way."

Evelyn nodded in respond, a part of her fully understanding and another wondering about the connection between them.

"Now, this one white mage is really strict about laws. People found doing any form of lawbreaking in front of him would get a straight death wish. And the juggler we are talking about… he even tried to kill this 'new man'!" the Seer exclaimed out loud. "I don't know what's waiting for him in the dungeons, but I bet it'll be worse than death itself!"

The Gria gulped at the thought of Chirol being knocked to death. She wasn't even very sure that the man they were talking about is the same juggler as this girl thought, but just thinking about it gave her the chills. Now the only thing she had to ask…was about the date of missing.

"And when was that… uh, juggler caught?"

"About five days ago, that juggler was caught. The guards saw him trying to stab his knife in person"

The brown-haired girl practically froze. There's no more doubt. Chirol was also lost five days ago. She tried to hold the stomachache-like feeling, and pardoned herself immediately to the nearest lavatory. After some vomiting she had gotten used to since she arrived in Ivalice, and some thinking, her brain looked for any information about getting the moogle out of the slammer, but she couldn't find any witty trick up to her sleeves. Guess that witty tricks like that weren't on her area. She then considered this a topic to talk about after the shop is closed. Then arriving back to the commercial place, she wasn't sure… but a templar walking in such a soldier-like way gave her the wariness. Royal guards… they aren't supposed to shop in such a lowly place instead getting their servants to buy their needs. At least that was what the girl could tell from reading a history book in her own world.

"How can I help you, sir?" Christopher asked, finally getting his self-control after meeting many kinds of faces from Humes until Seeqs, for to be counted one week non-stop. He put the best smile he can offer, but the bipedal lizard instead eyed him skeptically.

"Are you…" he started, "The owner of this place?" the reptile's piercing green eyes prying through his pupils was enough to make the boy gulp, which the governmental warrior found rather suspicious.

"Uh, no…" the young Hume answered warily. "I-I'm just a part-time worker here…" meanwhile all the eyes in the shop were all focused on the scene between a mere part-timer clerk and a royal guard. It was as if each of them has a bad memory against the officer of law. He, however, remained oblivious to the crowd and stood still while the brunette boy called for the real manager: Axel. He put the almost the same smile as the one meeting him before, and eyeing at the muscle-built Bangaa he decided to pretend he didn't know the mark on his cape. "Welcome to the Axel Armory, mister. Is there any way that I can help you?"

"Do not play dumb" the templar said, keeping a harsh tone. "We have received the word… one of your friends was caught red-handed trying to kill the governor's assistant"

"Inevitably so…" Axel whispered back, giving all the clerksmanship work into the young Hume beside him. "I believe that getting him out of the dungeon wouldn't be an easy thing to do"

"And about Herman, who was poisoned three months ago… we found a clue. The Paladin's nail was painted all blue. And from an autopsy we have found a certain substance in his body…"

"Please continue" the Scholar's expression grew more serious as he let the templar continue with his explanation.

"A unique substance, it was. Faren pollen mixed with a deadly poisonous array of chemistry and natural ingredients. Most probably, from the data we have gathered for about several years ago, it was a venomous poison uniquely created by –an organization- that nobody would dare to challenge."

"Then, who might have copied the recipe?" the Nu Mou asked in a more serious tone. A chilly wind blew in the opened market door and giving the room a significant temperature drop.

"Huh?" Chirol asked, not sure of what his ears had caught before. "You were kept a kupo prisoner because of a mischief in the mansion grounds? What exactly did you do until you got such a kupo punishment?"

The Viera remained silent, but she stopped carving her candle statue and put it on the cold floor. The rabbit-eared lady stared blankly to him which gave those creepy chills, and replied. "I… I wanted to kill that Will man…" she always answered in short sentences that gave her the impression of a little kid. "And I had failed…"

The juggler was quite surprised that he got a fellow prisoner being caught in the same motives. The ceiling dropped a bit of water, breaking the freezing silence but adding to the freezing situation. This dungeon was buried deep in snow, and the only way in and out was the exact same tunnel all along. Moreover it was heavily guarded. What should he do? Pretend to be nice and get some remission? Or should he do something else? Or should he wait for someone to rescue him? No way. By the way, how was the condition of the two kids from earlier? Were they with Lizza or even Axel? Can they survive on the own? He began worrying about them against his won willing. Gah, this is really driving him crazy. He stared hatefully at his jailbird clothes and began positioning himself for a sleep.

Yes, all he needed for now is a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, the day of the trial, will be the end of his nightmare, or possibly a beginning of a new one…

(Meanwhile in Midnight, outside of Snowcandy inn)

Evelyn had managed to luckily jump out of the second floor's window without spraining any of her muscles. She had made sure that everything she would need was on her bag, including a scramasax, which was given to her when she started working in the shop. Axel had also given the Gria's twin a rod and a white staff. The jingling of two bottles of potion against one another broke the silence of the night along with the howling of wolves and high-pitched screeches from the floating eyes living near the city's outstretch. Though voices aren't supposed to be heard from such a distance, somehow she can hear it quite clearly. She wasn't quite far when a moogle thief came her way.

"Oh, what do we have here, kupo? A little lady strolling down the streets at midnight time?" the white-furred creature tightened its headscarf before continuing. "You better watch out, kupo… there's a lot of monsters out here at this kind of time."

As if on cue, several flans and a wolf approached them slowly and came surrounding them. It's about… seven. Five flans and two wolves in a total, coming at them all at once, and soon the two of them were shut in a crowd of monsters.

"Please step back, miss" he said, brandishing a swordbreaker which reflects the half moon above it perfectly, a sign that the weapon was finely polished. "I will… take care of these meddlers, kupo…" though the tone of his voice sounds womanizing, she can't help but to believe in him. Having a knife tied on her belt didn't necessarily mean that she's a pro in using it. She even doubted that she'll be able to handle the rather heavy knife like she had handled a kitchen knife to cut meats. Meats… not that she had thought of it, this monster looked just like a pack of meat clumped together, and the other one looked just like a giant-sized jelly with creepy-looking eyes and a throat-less mouth. The thief moved forward and with an underestimating wink motioned all of them to come at him.

One of the wolves jumped high to pounce at the cocky rogue, but the creature was welcomed by not less the snow-covered brick road which the monster bumped his snout into. The moogle in an almost unseen speed sidestepped and evaded another wolf pounce, stabbing the canine's stomach into a shower of crimson liquid. He seemed unfazed by the fact the blood had splattered all over and to his face, tainting it all red. Heartlessly he stabbed through every unknown creature he had passed, until at the end he was the only one standing in the center of a lake of slimy blue liquid mixed with dark crimson blood. Evelyn was about to vomit at the dreadful sight, but she had managed not to. Not in front of people, she had got a pride to keep.

"I am sorry for the disturbance, miss. I am really sorry" the moogle said, bowing his head deeply until his pom-pom touched the ground. It wasn't normal in every way though the former-Hume didn't realize it, because no moogle would let his pom-pom touch the ground; it is a symbol of their pride.

"Uh, that's no problem at all…" she answered. "I'm the one who should be sorry about it. You saved my life…" Evelyn was blaming herself in her thoughts. If the moogle wasn't there, she'd be dead by now. "By the way…what about your clothes?"

"Do not worry about it, mademoiselle" he said, apparently still trying to womanize his way despite the bloody massacre he had been doing. "I'll wash it out by myself" the moogle then gave a wink to the Gria. "And what made a little lady like you go out in the middle of night, kupo? It's not very common… or do you have an important event to attend?"

Rather than answering, Evelyn looked down, not sure what to say. She looked at the moogle once more, judging whether it'll be safe or not to tell the truth. "I'm just going to see my friend…" she half-lied, knowing well, that she wasn't a pro in that field at all. Her voice was tattered and slow as opposed to her usual outward and hard nature.

"Then, I'll take my farewell. Just make sure to be careful, since there have been a lot of criminals in an apostle's cape, kupo…" he then waved his hand and went to an alley. When the girl peeked at the small pathway, he had disappeared, leaving nothing but a small envelope with a crown-like seal.

'_Do not worry a kupo. We will initiate a rescue mission as soon as possible_' the note said. Evelyn gripped it hard and ran back to the inn. What was she thinking about, trying to free Chirol from the slammer? The teenager had just realized how small she was. She was so cocky, trying to save some one who is a whole lot stronger than her! She had never felt this pitiful before. She hadn't had even the courage to draw that knife from its sheath, and yet… she was to challenge something bigger than the wolves slain by that moogle before? Snow began to fall, and the door is closed, so when the Viera came to open it, all she saw was the Gria and her snow-covered face, but anyone would know that she was crying, because drips of warm water dropped one by one from her eyes.

"Evelyn?" she asked, "Why are you crying like that?"

The young girl immediately rubbed her eyes to remove the remaining tears and said:

"Miss Lizza, I think… I have to become stronger for everyone." She said, pure determination in her face "Please train me"

The Fencer smiled as she gave her a cup of hot chocolate and warm pancakes.

"Of course I will… but first you will have to rest a bit…"

There! The end of chapter five! I know that it's very short and so… but everyone have a good read, please? Pardon the time-skip, because I have no idea how should I turn this to. Lizza will play an important part here, and some others, I like to include not just the main characters but also the others as well, as for me it'll make a harmony between them. I hope you had fun, and bye!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Bonus section-

"_An interview with Lizza"_

_This is a short story not linked at all with the main storyline, just read it for fun. This story happened far before all the scenes in this fan fiction._

A Seeq ranger entered the cafeteria with a wide smile on his face, his abnormal moustache moving up and down along with his fatty belly. He stopped there for a while and picked up some notes, noticing all the people from children to adults having their favorite meal. Playing with the little toddlers was a moogle animist and a Viera fencer lay semi-unconscious on the counter, most possibly from exhaustion. Everybody was having fun… well, until this Seeq came and asked the moogle.

"Excuse me, but don't ya know the owner of this inn? I was goin' for an interview with her, eh" he asked not caring at all to tone down neither his volume nor his language which was incomprehensible for children.

The piercing on his ears unknowingly teased a Bangaa toddler to have it, moreover with the flash of shiny gold every time the sunlight reached it. Mustering all the strength a Bangaa could have, he pulled the golden ring from the standing swine's ear, enough to make the poor Ranger scream in pain as the thin skin and nerve edge was pressured from the mighty child act.

"Ow-ow-ow-ow! Mind the earrings, kid; these cost me a thousand Gil!" he shouted holding his now bulging red organ and turned back holding his pain with a smile.

"Oh, Sorry Mr. Seeq" the little kid then bowed politely in apology. The moogle, Garrett, also bowed slightly and pointed to the half-fainted Viera. "She's the owner, kupo. But I don't think this is a right time to go and interview her…"

The pig-like creature didn't even hear the last sentence. As he thanked the white-furred mammal, he poked the lady and asked. "Good afternoon, this is from the Bonga Bugle wanting an interview…"

The fencer stood up in a light-fast speed apparently still in a trance-like state. She then smelled her surroundings as in reflex with the familiar stench she had hated. The distinctive smell of Fish, and it was in the Ranger's pocket.

"Something smelled like fish…" she said in a low tone, much to the interviewer's displeasure as she also drew her Estoc from its sheath. "No fishes here…" she said, still in her dreaming state in which she had saw a giant fish in front of her. Garret knew full well of this situation, and then brought the children outside in case the insight of a bloody massacre would come true.

"Uh, this is the Bonga Bugle requesting a…" his voice suddenly disappeared as a flash of thunder and a deaf-making loud crash of it struck him. The Viera then jumped and slammed her body on the pig's cushion-like belly and prepared her sword for some nasty stabbing.

"Wait- please wait a minute…!"

---------

"I'm really, really sorry for the accident, Mr. Head Editor" the fencer lowered her head in embarrassment. "For such catastrophe to happen…"

"Nah, that's alright" he said, still in a horror of what had happened to him. "I was able to have a taste of your cakes for free, so all went well" the Seeq sure was full after several helpings of cakes and pastries. "These cotton candy dreamhares are especially delicious"

"I'm back, kupo!" a certain juggler waved her hand as he entered the inn with a gigantic aquatic animal on his hand. "Look at what I caught while I'm gone! Can you make a dinner with this, Garret?"

Lizza's eyes suddenly shone in a murderous intent as she drew her rapier again.

Garrett put a palm on his face. He's going to see the 'scene' for twice in a week. "I'll be glad to Chirol, but I will cook it for you whether as a feast or as an offering… in your entombing, kupo"

Chirol's eyes widened as a ball of flame was aimed for him as he closely dodged it. "I sure hope I can survive this, kupo…"

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==

Ha-ha! Actually that made me laugh, but maybe you don't like it? Or maybe you're out into a laughing fit? Please tell me your opinion!

**Disclaimer: I do not own FFTA2 or even Square-Enix. Well, I do in my wildest dreams…**


	6. Daydreamer part 2

Well, here goes again- to the sixth chapter of the world after dead! I'm so grateful of you readers, even if you don't give a review, the number of hits and visitors have reduced me into happy tears… thanks for all of you reading there! So also in memoriam of the death of my dog about five years ago… without further ado we will begin the sixth chapter.

Notice: I don't own FFTA2 or anything related to it, just some of the characters like Evelyn and the unfamiliar names. I'm just a fan, trying to improve her English (and in the middle of it, trying to complete a biology task assigned for the next day.) and express her love for the game. So, here it is…!

"Evelyn?" she asked, "Why are you crying like that?"

The young girl immediately rubbed her eyes to remove the remaining tears and said:

"Miss Lizza, I think… I have to become stronger for everyone." She said, pure determination in her face "Please train me"

The Fencer smiled as she gave her a cup of hot chocolate and warm pancakes.

"Of course I will… but first you will have to rest a bit…"

**My determination is clear…**

**And though I can only gaze in awe at the shining sun**

**I will chase the dream, no matter how many times I fall,**

**As these wings are still here…**

**Chapter 6**

**Daydreamer (part 2: Insight)**

Christopher woke as the rising sun's light struck his eyes, forcing him to accept the beam passing the tight protection of his eyelids. What he saw was that the window was wide open, and his sister was curling up on her bed, snoring in almost an incredible volume. Well, that thing maybe had a point since she was very exhausted from whatever might have happened yesterday, and what made him question the most was the opened window. He was sure that he had locked it up last night, why was it open? He looked below, and saw nothing. He didn't even notice that the falling snow had covered the marks of a falling Gria last night, because he was sleeping at that time. The Hume reached for the door knob, and was surprised when he knew it wasn't locked. Was that possible… that this room had been a victim of theft? He checked around the room and through his bag to check if anything was stolen, but everything was in their places, including their bodies as well. Maybe Evelyn had gotten head-first out of the room and back here again? But that didn't explain the opened windows, and the fact that he was the one who would wake her up everyday when the two of them is in the 'real' world.

"Evelyn, Christopher!" a certain Viera called the twin from downstairs. "Breakfast's ready and if you don't hurry downstairs you'll miss them!"

In a quick response to the word 'breakfast' Evelyn's body quickly jetted up and after a quick wash and a hard time putting clothes up she immediately grabbed her brother, storming her way to the cafeteria. The poor boy doesn't even have the energy to resist, and he just giggled a little as his sister skidded on the floor and grabbed a handful of dreamhare roast which was the 'menu of the day'. The Gria ate the meat in an overwhelming speed, and people around him started to stare at her in a slightly disgusted tinge on their faces considering the poor attitude, and they were mentally wondering why she hadn't choked on the food, yet. But it wasn't the end of the culinary mess, as she immediately grabbed her dessert of citrus pies, ten of them, and ate them whole.

"Sis…" Christopher tried to stop his twin from her eating frenzy, which bore no fruit at all, since she didn't stop eating even for a second while he was biting his chocolate cookies little by little. He exhaled a deep breath and finally tried a new trick he made up yesterday. Nearing mouth to ear, he whispered, trying not to get any attention of fat-covered, drooping ears. "You'll turn to a Seeq if you continue to eat like that"

Hearing the sentence Evelyn immediately stopped eating, dashed to the nearest lavatory and vomited some of the food she had eaten. Lucky there wasn't anyone there, because the girl would have attracted more attention and it wasn't a good thing at all.

"Christopher" a Viera approached the boy who in return shifted his shoulders a bit in surprise. "What… did you say to her? She seemed very uncomfortable…"

"Well, that's quite the secret" the Hume youth remarked with a slightly sly smile as he slurped on his cactus fruit juice. Evelyn returned with a pale face and when she looked at the grandfather clock placed at the corner of the room, grabbed for her brother's wrist and half-dragged the Hume who was still biting on his cookies.

"Well, that's children" Lizza commented on the humorous scene. "I used to be like those two with my friends when I was younger"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (Axel's Armory) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I already told you not to tell me about those disgusting things!" Evelyn protested as she sorted out the pile of blades according to the text Axel has given him. "I already felt like I haven't had breakfast at all"

"But you were having the breakfast for ten people, sis" Christopher commented dryly, before polishing a riot gun with a piece of clean wool. "And I wonder why you reacted so greatly with the word 'breakfast'."

"I do wonder" the Gria replied and moved yet to another assortment of weapons waiting to be put into their right places. Of course, she also spent her time looking at the artistic works of the smiths. But all in all, a single book with a slightly tattered cover attracted her. Sheesh, since when was she so attracted by that pile of papers? She picked the book up, and walked for the drawer.

"Ah, Evelyn…" the Scholar asked for the female's attention. "There's a book that you should watch out for…"

"…You mean this?" Evelyn answered angrily as she pointed at a book which was gnawing at her right arm for no apparent reason. The pages formed sharp teeth which were digging on her flesh.

"Ah, yes, it is. So please put it in the cupboard with care…" the Nu Mou said with a smile before going back to his customer, a Bangaa Gladiator who was buying several blades and cannons. "And that will be 36.000 gils, mister"

"Geez, talk about being dense and annoying at the same time…" the Gria sighed as she pulled the book painfully from her hand, it brought quite some blood with it, and regretfully she had to get some bandages to cover the wound. She was about to go to the item section when a familiar voice greeted her.

"Hiya, we meet again!" a Seer greeted her by patting her shoulder and she quickly recognized who it was from his carefree, sing-a-long voice. "Still remember me? I'm Lidol!"

"Oh, hi!" Evelyn greeted back at him and waved her left arm. "Why are you here? I thought you already came here yesterday"

"Aww, don't be so cold!" he made a hard slap on Evelyn's back which made the sore wings worsen a bit and resulting in a painful moan. In reflex of the Gria's reaction he immediately pulled back his hand and examined his 'victim'.

"Hey, let me heal that wound on your arm" he stated and pulled the meant limb to him. The seer touched his hand to the injury and began mumbling several words the Gria doesn't even recognize. It ended with a rather loud 'cura' and there was like a warm, comfortable breeze on her hand and when she hadn't noticed it the cut closed itself and well, the process wasn't too nice for the eye. It was like the normal process of wound-closing in an increased rate. The fibrin threads bind the gap between one and another part of skin before pulling up together and were quickly replaced by a new layer of skin. A process that would have taken days or maybe even weeks was done in a matter of seconds. When the blue light dissipated Evelyn tried to swing her arm around and pressed her finger on the formerly-wounded part of her skin. It didn't hurt at all, much to her surprise.

"Wow… this is wonderful, Lidol!" she exclaimed and looked in amazement at him." What trick did you use?"

"That's a simple ol' cura of course!" he replied with quite the volume. "You seem clueless about it, have you ever heard of magick before?"

Evelyn immediately realized her fault. She had completely forgotten about magick! She flailed her arms wildly in panic as her words came stuttering through her throat, "O-of course! I-I just don't see something like magic much…" oh, is these pathetic words really would go and make him believe…?

"Well, I can't blame it on you then…" Lidol said, unconsciously cornering Evelyn's confidence and secret. "Anyway… I'm off then, can't keep my clan-leader waiting; he's going to leave me on his mission!" the seer looked towards the door and to his two friends which were already waiting for him.

Evelyn looked as he took his farewell and tied the book tightly with a sturdy vine which was conveniently placed near every shelf, to make sure that nobody will fall victim to that book and blame her afterwards.

Much to the Gria's surprise, what happened next was pretty much out of her expectations, as a Viera she knew went in, and immediately after she had finished a little chat with Axel, grabbed Evelyn out and to the inn's backyard.

"What are you doing, miss Lizza?" Evelyn asked, totally confused by the older one's actions. Meanwhile the Viera just exhaled her breath in exasperation of the girl's poor memories.

"Didn't you just asked me to train you last night?" she retorted and again Evelyn was dumbstruck. She was acting really stupid back then. Head lowering, she admitted her fault and apologized, "I'm sorry…"

"Sorry, shmorry. If you don't change that bad habit of yours soon I doubt your secret will stay in even a year; believe me" She said and reaching for her pockets, tied what seemed to be bracelets to Evelyn's wrists and ankles. When the fencer let go of the limbs, Evelyn immediately felt like she's going to fall. The things on her body must weigh at least three kilos each! And they only look like fabric pockets!

"Whoa-"the word escaped the Gria's mouth as she tried to balance herself. Falling to the cold snow wouldn't be funny at all. She was quite overwhelmed by the weight, and when she was trying to prepare a standard stance Lizza was already brandishing her rapier which glinted below the sunshine, its glow seemingly threatening with some kind of invisible bloodlust. Evelyn managed a gulp and took her Scramasax, which seemed to challenge Lizza's Estoc in the way of light-reflecting.

"Now, let's move to the basics. Since you're of no jobs yet, all you can do is to perform basic combat training" she then moved to Evelyn and shifted her fingers on the short metal blade. "You're holding it the wrong way; if you put your thumb like that it wouldn't be different like chopping meat" when she had finished, Evelyn tried to swing the knife around.

"You're right…" she said, quite amazed by the fact. "Seems that I can put more energy into swinging it this time"

"Well, that is for the basics, but the first thing you need to do is to build up your stamina and accuracy, so if you want to hit something you don't end up hitting plain air" with a flick of Lizza's fingers a boulder came up from the ground, creating a big mound on the snowy soil. "Now, your objective is to carve this stone into anything you wanted it to be"

"What?" the Gria was sure dumbstruck by what her mentor had just said "Carving statues? Isn't it an artist's work?"

"Well, a good fighter is also a great artist" she stated plainly, confusing Evelyn even more. "But to add to the fun you have to run in circles while carving it"

"That's unfair!" the younger one protested, "You're going to make my head spinning!"

"And no breaks until dinner!"

"Aw…"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Garrett!" one of the inn's customers called, "Give me a breaded dreamhare please!"

"And one more here!" called another one.

"Don't forget my juice, Garret!" a Hume student also shouted from the mess we call 'lunchtime'.

"A… Miss Lizza…! Don't just go and leave the café when it's lunchtime, kupo!" Garrett shouted in desperation as his works became twice as much with the Viera manager not around.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Jylland Defenders of Peace Moorabella branch, Dungeon)

"It's time…" Chirol murmured to himself. "The judgment, huh…" the juggler can only gaze in melancholy against the damp ceiling. "After all I have swore to my clan-mates I'm going to just end here and turn into bird food, I'm so pathetic…" his head slumped between his hip as he curled against the mossy wall. Six days trapped in the cell had taken the toll on him. It's true that he had spent his time talking with the Viera, last night when the guards discovered it Chirol was moved into a different cell, totally secluded and far from any sane minds he knew.

"'tis the time, juggler…" one of the guards, a Bangaa, approached him and opened the lock, ready to drag the moogle to the binds of torture. The iron bars creaked against each other with a deafening noise…

But what appeared to be much more deafening than the sound of iron bars was the Gladiator's shriek when the back of his neck was hit hard with an Aqua Saber. The hard bluish metal smacked his nerve system mercilessly, making the bipedal lizard to fall unconscious on the ground. Holding the curved sword was, of course, a Blue Mage which let Chirol escape from his cell and released the cuffs on his wrists with the key held by the fainted guard.

"Thank you, kupo…" that was all the moogle could say out of his lack of knowledge. He watched as reinforcements came to the rescue but all of them was welcomed warmly… by a scorching Fira spell followed suit with some kick-butt technique from the proud Seer himself. Glorious brown cover of The Arnath Glyphs slammed helms and heads hard alike, and spirited shouts could be heard from who smacked the officers into fainting.

"Oh my God… Lidol!" the Blue mage called and it gained his attention. "Stop acting so hyper or I'll shove my saber into your neck!" immediately the Seer stopped and gave a final stomp on a Bangaa Defender's chest. Then the situation was frozen like ice. Nobody dared to speak or act before a loud shout came from above.

"Hurry and get the two of them, kupo!" a moogle shouted from above, "More reinforcements are coming for the jailbirds!"

"Got it!" the Seer, who apparently was Lidol, scanned the area and with the key opened the door with the Viera inside. He grabbed her and after picking any random clothes that would suit to replace her prisoner appearance, handed the fabrics to the lady and… because there were no washroom, they have to wait and hold themselves from peeking to a changing Viera.

"Take haste, the weapons are stored upstairs and we do not have a long time to wait!" another voice, a Hume's, called from above.

"There's no choice, kupo…" Chirol sighed as his fingers twirl with Mist. The time around them came in a double speed, and at no time at all she was done changing. When the juggler grabbed for her wrist and dashed upstairs the two Humes were left in amazement on how somebody can change her clothes so fast, and apparently, they didn't realize that it was the effects of time magick.

"You're awfully late" the Viera complained as she grabbed her Twin Bow and tied a thin fabric to her loose clothing so it would tighten a bit. "I've been waiting for you four for a month already"

"I'm sorry, Lady Anastasia, but the situations haven't been very supporting to us lately and finding clues haven't been this hard…" The Blue Mage said with so much respect as a guard to her mistress. But Chirol almost dropped his bag when he had heard the name 'Lady Anastasia"…

"Don't tell me, kupo" the juggler said in complete disbelief. "She's the…?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you weren't mistaken, kupo!" a moogle thief exclaimed as he entered the building with a Hume Black Mage and locked the door tight. "She's Lady Anastasia, the Governor's one and only child, who's rumored to be missing, kupo. That Will was so a poisonous snake; who would think that he hid the princess in a prison, kupo? Such disgrace…!" he growled in fury remembering the face and maniacal laugh of the man, rocking-a-pom-pom back and forth.

"So now, what do we do?" Lidol asked as he leaned on a Spruce-wood table. "We've already freed Lady Anastasia and there's no way we could be able to roam freely now when people are getting paid for our heads…"

"Now that you said that, you had a point…" the Black Mage who had also accompanied Lidol to the store commented. "If only Abie doesn't act reckless because he made a promise with a little Gria girl…"

"And what's exactly wrong with that, kupo?" the thief protested. "She's just a harmless little girl wanting her friend to be freed that's all!"

"I say we wait, kupo" Chirol said sternly. If this is a game to throw off his enemy, say he's in. "In two weeks the nobles of Bisga Greenlands will come for a visit; then we can attack him"

"And let people to attack us in the open? Don't be crazy" Dylan, the Blue Mage, retorted. "You're only looking for suicide"

"Oh, I didn't say to attack him in the meeting; but we do it the other way, and then…"

"Oh!" Anastasia was the first to respond. "Maybe this'll actually work!

"For the next two weeks we will have to plan and gather all the members of the rebellion force, and then we make some kind of guerilla" Chirol explained the plan in more detail. A sly smirk formed on the juggler's mouth as he did that. _Just wait, Will, you will feel my revenge sooner or later._

"Well, follow me to the force's hideout, kupo" Abie stated as he opened the door again, making sure no official guards were around. "Your name?"

"Chirol, kupo" the juggler said and the white-furred moogle handed him a snowflake-shaped silver badge.

"From now you're one of the rebellion forces; our main goal is to overthrow the cursed man's hidden tyranny"

"I'm in"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Evelyn can't take it anymore; her head was spinning and she was about to faint at any moment. She fell on her side, looking at the slightly shaved stone, and a small smile played on her face;

At least it formed something other than a rock.

"Evelyn, your dinner…" Lizza came with a plateful of food on the tray in her hands. But what the Viera saw was the Gria sleeping in peace. She obviously can't help but smile.

"Kids are still kids, no matter in what era they lived…" she giggled and let her relieve her exhaustion for a while before waking her up for meal.

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And… that was chapter six. Pardon the corniness, it was made late at might and I obviously need my sleep… (Yawn)

**I have no rights of the FFTA2 or whatsoever; it is © Square Enix inc. and not me.**


	7. Diamond of hope

I Never ever thought that I would actually make it to this chapter! *Teary eyes* so thank you very much and I'm very sorry to have left you here and for waiting… I'm really, really sorry for the hiatus that had took possibly months to recuperate from. I just don't know where to start this, because I don't even know how you put filler. I'm really, really stupid! So, enough with the talk which I think has exceeded 80 words **now** and I'd really like to go on with the story

---------

**When the snow was really blinding me, I can't see**

**The shard of mirror that I seek**

**Stumbling upon the rock which had been lying there**

**Where was it, the diamond of hope?**

**Chapter 7**

**-The Diamond of Hope****-**

**----------------**

_If hope was all it takes for someone to be able to do something…_

_Chirol would not be here by now. _

In the break of dawn Lizza had woken up, and she immediately took a bath of warm water. She had cared not to wake Garret up and then reached for a small, thick book. Inside it was illustrations, drawn by Lizza herself, and small shards of magicite was embedded to each page. They were like a recorder, so if you concentrate some mist in the stone it will replay what it had recorded from the events before. She flipped into the very middle of the book; it was a ball when Miss Anastasia, the daughter of the governor, was to be taken as a fiancée for the Baron of a town in Rupie Mountains.

And it was when it all happened.

News came that the Baron was killed by a mob of angry highwaymen, and that he had been betrayed by his own personal guard. The region of Rupie Mountains had been covered in a total chaos. Anastasia was heartbroken, and thus chosen to lock herself in her room. When a month had passed and the door was finally opened, the guards were in for a great shock, for the lady herself wasn't there anymore. Many said that she had committed suicide, but none of her personal guards would believe such a lame fact. The governor's right-hand man, who was by that time the Paladin Fenrir, had commenced that the search team had to seek every possible nook and cranny. A month later he died of a mysterious cause, and then his assistant, Will, took away his position. After that, none had been heard of the searching team, except that he had made them retreat on the reason of the increased discomfort of the townspeople when the soldiers were around.

After that, the name Lady Anastasia was nothing but a sweet song…

_Lady Anastasia, strong and sweet  
with a charm like the flowers which invited the bees  
and with a greatbow, her alluring thorny tendrils  
was she not the most beautiful of all roses?_

Lizza flipped into the other page, and she found a Marriom Heather flower between the pages. It was brown and dried up, but it had still maintained its alluring fragrance and appearance. She was about to recall the past events when she had slipped the flower inside the book, but a series of loud knocks on the door had startled her.

"Miss Lizza!" a familiar moogle called from inside. "Hurry and wake up, kupo! Because it is morning and our guests are awaiting their breakfast" Lizza closed the book with a smile and called back, "I'll be there in an instant, just go ahead, OK?" she stood up, letting her soft purple garment to hang off her defined waist. The Viera strapped a rapier on her belt just in case, and marched outside, when the few people who had been awake were to leave early for urgent missions. Jumping right into action, the fencer skillfully cracked eggs and mixed them with wheat flour, sugar and salt followed suit, and she packed the cut succulent fruits inside the fluffy batter. Then after baking it with the steel oven she had usually used, she pulled the iron tray after making sure she was properly using her gloves. She served them warm on small platters and continued to make different menus after it was done. She didn't even realize that the sun was beginning to peek in from the edge of the world.

And today was something quite different, for the twins had already wakened up before she had even planned on waking them up. The first one to come down was Christopher, followed with her Gria twin who looked like she had a great hangover. Well, actually not, it was just that she hadn't had her proper sleeping time in the recent days because of the apparently crazy errands that the Viera had set up on her as a part of her training. Her eyes were slightly baggy and every one or two minutes she would yawn, and then she sat on one of the dining tables with her brother and grabbed the tomato ketchup that was on the table, unconsciously pouring it on the table as if there had been a glass there.

This action went unnoticed until Garret had finished frying the egg that Christopher had ordered; and with his short feet, marched to the table and felt his shoe touch something slippery. Without even caring to look down and examine what was that slippery thing on the wooden floor, he took another step towards the table…

He slipped at that instant.

His tiny feet were launched into the air as the shoe's soles gave up to the liquid, and in that split second the animist had tried to balance himself, reflexively flapping his red bat-like wings; only to fail since all four of his paws were off the ground. And he fell, head-first, followed by the sunny side-up egg landing on his furry face earliest before the ceramic platter had followed suit. That was marked with a loud "KUPO!" and Evelyn snapping of her disastrous trance because of the yell.

"Uh, w-what am I doing?" She asked, looking around frantically and releasing the big bottle of ketchup at once. What she saw was a moogle, drenched in a pool of red liquid, and losing consciousness because of the hard hit he had received on his poor pom-pom and forehead. At once she became panicked and shook the moogle, thinking naively that the spilled ketchup all over him was blood. Actually, the poor animist also had some yellow liquid on him as the yolk of the half-raw egg had splattered all across his features. Attracted in whatever commotion had caused his twin to go in such a panic, Christopher turned around and saw the moogle drenched in tomato ketchup. His reaction wasn't much different than Evelyn's, as he immediately called for Lizza, who immediately rushed to the scene.

"What's up…" she said, and then stopped to stare at the unconscious moogle before her. "In the name of the Holy Seraph!" she cursed, shaking her one and only co-chef. "What had happened to you, Garrett?" apparently, she had also mistaken the tomato ketchup for blood, if only she didn't smell the tomato scent emanating from all over the moogle instead of the steely scent of blood. She then smirked, putting the moogle in front of the counter, and then rubbed the ketchup with a piece of wet cloth. That was stupid.

"Now…" Lizza stared coldly at the twins, making the two of them shiver at once in contact of the icy gaze fixed on them. "I would like to know who had spilled this amount of tomato ketchup on the floor. It seemed that it's coming from your table, and it was a **waste** of Gil as well as staff"

Christopher immediately stared at Evelyn, as if telling her to confess. Evelyn didn't know that she was the cause of the ruckus, and even if she was to confess and tell Lizza that she was unconsciously pouring tomato ketchup, she won't be released unharmed. The two kept silent, one staring at the other, and because three minutes had passed since she asked the question and nobody had answered it, Lizza let out a sigh and grabbed the two of them, shoving the siblings into the storage and told them to take the mop. The first words that came into their mind as she did this was "Detention" and "Being late to work"

"You children need to know your responsibilities" Lizza said as she watched the two of them mop the red-stained wooden floor, in an amateur way. Evelyn was doing it much better that Christopher did, and if you were to ask the younger one about how she had managed to do so, he would not answer '_because she was a nice girl' _or '_she was doing housework'_, but the answer instead will come as, '_She had done this more than five or six times before… as a detention'_

"Hey, I'm no kid" Evelyn protested as she drove the wooden stick with cloth attached into it forward and back, pouting. "I'm already 15"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm 70, so be a good kid who listens to the adults and go on with your job" Lizza replied, indifferent. Somehow Evelyn got these kinds of Goosebumps that told her that she would have her exercise job doubled today or even worse.

Finally, after fifteen minutes of sweat-excreting activity called 'mopping' and five minutes of decent lecture, the two were finally allowed to leave the place to do their part-time jobs. Well, it had been more than ten days now since Chirol went missing. The room was still locked as ever and the things inside it untouched. What had worried her was if Chirol had kept food inside, it should rot by now. The smell wouldn't be very pleasant.

* * *

In front of the Axel's Armory…

In front of the twins, the building was surrounded by a huge mass of people. That said, not only Humes, but also all the other races. They were all murmuring some incomprehensible words because they were mixed badly against each other and they were speaking in almost the same volume.

"What's going on?" Evelyn tried to ask one of the people that had gathered up here. To be precise, it was a moogle time mage.

"Eh, you see… kupo" he answered in tattered words, "It seems that the person running this store… is...uh… kupo… how can I say this, kupo…"

"Just tell me…" the Gria repeated herself, not wanting to wait any longer. However, she had a bad predicament about these kinds of situations. "It's not like I have any intentions on biting you or anything"

"Well… kupo" The moogle was still tattering, not sure what to say. "He… Axel… he…" then he stopped right there. He didn't want to tell any further.

"Aww, come on!" she was finally angered, and at this point, Christopher, pulled her arm, causing the Gria to jerk and the turn around. She met with a not-so-happy face of her twin's.

"It's not very polite to force someone to say what they didn't want to say, you know…." He said, and then looked at the frightened moogle. "It's okay, sorry for causing you trouble."

"I'm very sorry" Evelyn said, admitting her fault. "I was very impatient"

Now it was the time mage's turn to feel guilty. Still with the stuttering words, he also said his sorry, which was quite strange for the twins, and finally said, "W-well, kupo, they say t-t-t-that… h-he's been m… kupo… **murdered,** kupo"

"WHAT?" the twins shouted in unison, attracting some of the crowd's attention. Evelyn was extremely shocked, and Christopher looked like he was going to break down at that moment. What they heard was totally unbelievable. How come…? Did somebody assassinate him?

Evelyn immediately stood up, grabbing her brother's arm tight, and marched into the shop's entrance. "We're going in" was the simple words that she said, as they went pass the short statures of the moogles, the fatty mass that was the Seeqs' tummies, and the long, fluffy tails of the Nu Mous that they almost stepped on several times. They were the first to get pas the broken wooden doors, as nobody had dared to do so, and they were the first to take sight of the awful scene.

Tragic, only that word fits to describe the situation inside the shop. The weapons were littered everywhere, some coated with a red substance. A big hole was on the roof and below it a massive crater which had demolished everything in its range of contact. The room itself was so stinky of the smell of blood, but the worst was the Scholar's corpse nailed against the wall, beside it written big and thick with blood was: 'REVEAL YOURSELVES, TRAITORS OF THE GOVERNMENT!'

* * *

**Ruins of Delgantua- hall of blessings**

The hall of blessings was a historical feature of Jylland. It was there where the Legendary Seraph Ultima was to land long ago on that land. It was now an abandoned place, as nobody had cared to go there, except a few….

Hurried footsteps resounded through the silent hall, accompanied by the sound of flowing water and occasional pants. Several people were gathered inside the hall, and they were nothing else than the rebellion forces of Moorabella.

"Reporting, sir!" a Hume soldier announced to the Blue mage as they gave a salute to each other.

"Please go on" Anastasia said, also standing up to hear the news.

"A civilian had just been murdered last night. The victim was Axel Genardine, who runs the Armory near the Snowcandy inn. There was a big writing on the wall, written with blood, asking us to reveal ourselves to the government"

"What shall we do, Lady Anastasia?" Dylan, the blue mage, asked the royal daughter in response of the reported situation. "This is definitely a trap to lure us out"

"How low the government had fallen into, killing innocent civilians as cruel as that!" the Viera exclaimed, very upset. She hadn't expected for the government which had been run by her father to have sunk so low. "But we shall not fall into their trap. We will not give ourselves in that easily, knowing these cursed deeds"

"The next target might be another person closest to him…" Lidol stated, thinking really hard. "As long as the information gives it, he doesn't have any relatives in the town. The people who were working in his shop were the mechanist, who was going to the city of Goug for supplies, and the others were the part-timers… Evelyn and Christopher, they have the closest possibility being the next targets if this murder was to continue."

Chirol, who was among the people who had gathered there, immediately stood up to join the discussion. "If the matter had gone into them, I shall go, kupo"

All the eyes immediately turned to the juggler. It seems that everyone had their own reasons for complaining this moogle.

"Remember that you are their target, Chirol. We can't just let you go. At least until we can assure that your position is safe" Lidol stated the obvious, and the others also nodded.

"Do not put your personal feelings ahead of your duty, kupo!' Abie added, "We all had gathered here to go on your plan, and you are an important factor in it! If you were to go, who will carry out this plan? And why did we have to gather here, kupo? You have to understand that!"

"B-but…!" Chirol was to complain again, but then he stopped. He didn't know what to say at all. If he were to say that the world's fate would one day depend on the two of them, who could have believed in him? They'll just think that he's a madman who's not worthy to trust! No, he had greed to help in the mission and he can't just break his promise. But how can he do this?

"I'm sure they can take care of themselves…" Anastasia said, trying to calm the moogle down. "But if not, at least they will have done their best…"

* * *

"…Are you sure that we're going to do this, Eve?" Christopher asked rather nervously, packing several potions into their old backpacks.

"Actually, I'm not so sure…" she answered, stuffing the red Diary book inside the knapsack. "I wonder if this is the right thing to do, actually I didn't want to say goodbye to them…"

"Me too… but it's the best way for all of us and them, right?"

"Yeah, maybe…" Evelyn muttered, staring into the brilliantly decorated night sky. It was so different from the cloudy sky of her home-world. Leaning her head against the wooden wall, she looked at her twin and noticed something.

"Why are you bringing that thunder rod with you, Chris…?" she asked, feeling curious.

"Well, I want to keep it as a keepsake, and actually when you were having your special lessons with Miss Lizza I had some magick Training with Mister Axel as well" the Hume replied, zipping the rucksack and getting ready to sleep.

"Well, good night, then" Evelyn said, preparing her pillow and leaning herself of the bed, making sure not to give any pressure on the wings and tails.

"Good night"

* * *

It was already midnight, and a Bangaa trickster entered the inn, with a Nu Mou sage and a Hume fighter. Lizza was half- asleep, and she was surprised to see people coming at this late an hour.

"Excuse me, Missy, but did ya know of people called Evelyn and Christopher living in this inn? We would like to see them"

* * *

* * *

Cliffhanger… again! Sorry! It had been long since I had put up a fighting scene inside this story. Pardon the chunks if drama I did put inside and the piece if terror, with me being a girl and all its just plain hard to resist it. Thank you for people who were still here to listen to my preaches^^

* * *

Bonus section: About Lidol

Name: Lidol Campoise  
Race: Hume  
Gender: Male  
Job: Seer/ Soldier  
Hair color: Dark brown  
Weapon: Arnath Glyphs  
Hat: White Hat  
Armor: Magick robe  
Accessories: Orb of Minwu  
Likes: Cat, Jokes  
Dislikes: Tomatoes, Alraunes

Lidol was one of the queen's personal guards, until he was dismissed along with the others when Will had stopped the search for Lady Anastasia. He is a mood-maker and he also had a cheerful personality, though at times he gets overboard. He's very energetic and had strength more than average mages, which was influenced by his past as a soldier.


End file.
